Speak No Evil
by weepingangel9578
Summary: "He doesn't speak, he can't..." Upon their initial meeting, the hobbits learn something unusual about their elven companion. However, as time progresses, one question continually plagues them. How did the enigmatic prince lose his voice, and why is he so reluctant to tell the fellowship? Rating is for violent flashbacks in later chapters, but nothing to bad. [AU]
1. Chapter 1: Enter the Prince

**Alright, so this story is a little bit different. It started as a slash idea of a friend of mine, but since I am not particularly into writing slash, I modified the story line to my liking. Anyway, in this story Legolas uses something akin to sign language to communicate. The story behind it is that he created the language himself, and few people actually know it. Now I know some readers aren't going to be particularly happy about this liberty, but I hope that you all are able to enjoy my story anyway. You know that I always love your reviews!**

***The text in italics is essentially what the signing would be if it were being said out loud.**

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Four hobbits and a man stood peacefully upon on of the balconies of Rivendell. The sun warmed their skin and provided a security which had been missing from all of their lives recently. The group was standing in their current position in order to watch the comings and goings of the elves within Rivendell. However, today the Hidden Valley was receiving special guests, and the hobbits wanted to see and learn about the visitors before the counsel they knew was coming. To do this effectively, the recruited the ranger for information.

"Who are they Strider?"

The ranger smiled and pointed to the group of men, who were currently galloping in through the gates of Rivendell. They quickly slowed their steeds and dismounted, congregating into a tight circle as they whispered to each other.

"They are the representatives from Gondor, Pippin. Do you see the man with the shield over his shoulder?"

The hobbit looked up to Aragorn as he waited for the man to elaborate.

"Well, he is the son of Denethor, who is the steward of Gondor. His name is Boromir."

Pippin nodded with a sense of thoughtfulness, before turning his attention back to the receiving courtyard of the hidden valley. The short being was leaning up against the railing in an attempt to see what was going on down below with a clearer view.

By now the group of men had moved inside, escorted by Lord Elrond, so the courtyard was once again empty. Bored by even the minor lull in events, Pippin sighed and rested his chin upon the top of the rail. He spared a quick glance to his kin at his left, and seeing that they were busy conversing with each other, he turned to the man instead.

"Strider?"

The man looked down upon the hobbit and quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes master hobbit?"

"Is anyone else coming, or are the dwarves and men the only ones?"

Aragorn chuckled lightly and shook his head.

"Nay Pippin, there are others, albeit only one more group. They should be arriving any minute now in fact, for their journey was the most treacherous of all."

This peaked the young hobbit's interest. His eyes widened slightly and he raised his head a little bit.

"Really? Who are they?"

"They are elves, from Mirkwood. It should only be a small battalion, maybe three or four soldiers. They had to travel over the passes of Carahdras, which can be particularly treacherous this time of year. Not to mention the fact that the forest they call home has become infested with danger. The wood-elves have suffered much in recent years."

The ranger gained a certain far off look, as he released a saddened sigh. Confused by the man's sudden change in demeanor, the hobbit voiced a question.

"Do you know any of the elves personally Strider? You seem to know a lot about them."

Aragorn nodded slowly as a small smile danced over his features.

"I do know a few of them on a rather personal level. In fact I consider myself a very close friend of one in particular. I have known him since I was a mere child and we have been through many trails together. Unfortunately, he has been on the receiving end of a good many of said troubles. I say with a heavy heart that some of them have brought much grief upon him."

Suddenly the man scoffed and pointed out into the distance.

"And what do you know, here he comes now."

The hobbit turned to look at what the ranger was gesturing to, and his expression turned to one of wonder as he watched the golden haired elf riding fiercely at the front of his three elven soldiers. The grouping followed a behavioral pattern to that of the men—dismounting swiftly and forming a tight grouping—but instead of anxiously looking about them, the elves seemed completely at home in the Hidden Valley.

"Those are the elves from Mirkwood?" Pippin inquired quietly.

The man flashed the hobbits a smile and gripped Pippin's shoulder, gently pulling him towards the stairs which led to the main courtyard.

"Come my friends, there is someone I would very much like you to meet."

With that Aragorn pulled Pippin, who dragged Merry and Frodo, who grabbed Sam, down to greet the arriving elven company. After their two minute journey, the five beings entered the courtyard and approached the elves. When they were about ten feet away, Aragorn called out to one of the elves, who turned around sharply at the noise.

The hobbits watched as the blonde haired elf smiled broadly and quickly turned back to his soldiers. The four couldn't be entirely sure, but the being seemed to be making hurried hand gestures to the others. The group of elves nodded and stood patiently as the blonde made a move towards Aragorn.

As the being approached Aragorn's smile grew and he called out again.

"Legolas, mellon-nin! It has truly been much too long since I have seen you. How have things been for you gwador-nin?" (my friend; my brother)

This was where things became strange for the four halflings. Instead of replying to the man's question as they thought he would, the elf smiled and made a string of rapid gestures with his hands. Their confusion only grew when the ranger laughed as if he understood the soldier.

It was then that Merry stepped forward, hoping to gain some clarity on the situation.

"Uh excuse me Strider, but I believe that you have forgotten to introduce us."

The man chuckled and moved to stand beside the elf.

"Ah, you are right Merry, my apologies. This is Prince Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood."

Once again the elf made one or two gestures and rolled his eyes. _Honestly Estel, is the title necessary?_ Aragorn shrugged and lightly cuffed Legolas on the shoulder.

"My apologies, but they were going to figure it out sooner or later."

The prince cocked his head to the side and began with the signs again. _Very well, but could you please tell them they need not use it. To them I would prefer to be known as just Legolas._ Aragorn nodded and turned back to the hobbits.

"He would like for you to know that to you he is just Legolas. He hates titles."

Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo all nodded, but then they fell silent. None of them were entirely sure what to do about the communication issue which had arisen. Sensing the awkwardness, Legolas smiled at the short beings and dipped his head. When he straightened, he tapped Aragorn on the shoulder and pointed towards the hobbits. The man immediately got the message and looked towards the hobbits.

"Please forgive me, I have been blinded by the joy of seeing Legolas again. We haven't been together for far too many years. You all must be rather confused by this point with the way that Legolas communicates."

The group nodded in a signal to continue on.

"Well, you see Legolas doesn't speak, he can't…"

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**Please send me your thoughts!**


	2. Chapter 2: A Dinner to Remember

**I am really glad that you are all enjoying this story so far, your kind reviews have been so nice to read. Please enjoy! Oh and from now on, I am not going to always say that Legolas is signing something, but I will say who he is signing to. So basically whenever you see italics, Legolas is communicating. Also, Aragorn speaks for Legolas within this chapter, so I hope you all don't get confused. I am going to try and make it as clear as possible.**

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"Well, you see, Legolas doesn't speak, he can't."

The mouths of the four hobbits all simultaneously dropped about an inch or so. Confusion clouded their eyes as they regarded the smiling elf in front of them. Several moments of silence stretched between the beings before Legolas tapped the man on the shoulder once more. _Could you please translate for me? I would like to greet them in my own voice so to speak. _The final signs were accompanied by a slight shrug of the elf's shoulders. Aragorn nodded in agreement and turned to the hobbits, who were still studying the prince.

"My friends, Legolas would like me to relay what he is trying to communicate to you."

The four nodded in understanding, signaling Legolas to begin. The elf started with his rapid gestures and the ranger spoke their meaning aloud.

"I know that my ways of communication may seem strange to you, but I ask you to allow me to explain. When I was first struck with the loss of my speech, I was devastated that communicated with the people around me would become nearly impossible. I spent a good three months lost in my grief before I came to my senses. It happened after I attended one of my father's council meetings for the first time since I lost my voice. As I was sitting there, I observed the way that the elves around me used their hands to accentuate the words they were speaking, and that was when I realized something. If I couldn't communicate by speaking in elvish or the common tongue, I needed to create my own language. Thus the hand gestures you see were born. Each one represents either a common word such as hello and goodbye, or a letter to spell out words."

The elf finished by watching the awe struck hobbits for a reaction. Pippin was the first to respond.

"That is amazing! You created an entire language by yourself!"

Legolas smiled broadly and gestured to Aragorn, who once again relayed the message.

"He says thank you Pippin."

The hobbit grinned before suddenly making a noise of disapproval.

"How silly of me, I forgot that we haven't actually told you our names. I am Pippin, this is my cousin Merry, that is Sam, and next to him is Frodo."

Legolas dipped his head in greeting once again before promptly rising. It was then that Sam spoke up.

"Mister Legolas? May I ask you a question?"

The prince nodded and raised an eyebrow in a silent signal to continue.

"Well, Mister Strider obviously knows your language, but does anyone else?"

Legolas looked over to the man and briefly shared a short conversation with him. _Do you want to answer them? It might be a little easier. _Aragorn shrugged and responded.

"Of course, but feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong."

_Oh, I will. _The elf finished with a mischievous wink and a smirk. The man scoffed lightly and rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.

"To answer your question Sam, yes, there are others. Only Legolas' father, his battalion— who reside mere feet away—and I are completely fluent in the language, but Lord Elrond, the twins, Arwen, and many Mirkwood elves know enough to communicate easily."

The hobbits all made barely audible noises of understanding, but their questions weren't done yet. This time it was Merry's turn to speak up.

"Um Legolas, may I ask you how you lost your voice?"

This was when the elf began to change. Legolas' shoulders slumped as his friendly demeanor shifted from smiles to a grief filled frown and fearful eyes. He slowly exhaled and closed his eyes before gesturing to Aragorn. _Please Estel, I do not wish to tell them, I cannot. _At this, the ranger frowned.

"Mellon-nin, maybe you should tell someone. You have not spoken of anything that happened during those years. None know of what actually happened, not even your father and I." (my friend)

Legolas merely shook his head and began an apparent rant with his hands. _No, no not now, not ever. I will not relive what happened all those years ago, I got over it, I forgot it, I don't remember it anymore, I don't want to and I refuse to. No longer shall I live through that torment, no longer shall I hear them yell at me, no longer, no longer, please no, please don't make me, don't make me go back, I don't want, I will not, I will not. _

When the beginnings of tears formed along the rims of Legolas' once again open eyes, Aragorn quickly stepped in front of the elf and grabbed his wrists, pausing his frantic motions. The elf looked like he was about to fall apart any minute, so the man tried his best to calm him down.

"Legolas, peace mellon-nin. You do not have to say anything you do not wish to. Lord Elrond tol deri nedh-innas medi. E taur sui an pent innas lle." (Lord Elrond is waiting inside with supper. He might like to talk with you.)

The prince nodded hurriedly and without another thought, Legolas practically sprinted up the stairs leading into The Last Homely House. This left Aragorn to watch the elf leave with saddened eyes, standing with the very worried and confused hobbits. Neither party knew exactly what to say in order to break the uneasy silence, which had settled over them. That is until Merry began to quietly tear up.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to say anything to hurt him…"

Aragorn cut him off by raising his hand in a silencing gesture and giving him a quick smile.

"No Merry, you hold no fault here. As I said earlier, Legolas has much suffering within his past, and some of it he doesn't wish to talk about. This includes how he became speechless. All that anyone knows is that Legolas lost his voice during his time as a captive in Dol Guldur. He was held there for close to four years, but when he was found again, he was barely alive and his voice was gone. We tried to get Legolas to tell us what happened for years, but he refused to explain anything. To this day he has held true to that with conviction, hence the reaction you just saw. Do not worry yourself Merry, he holds you know ill will, I can promise you that. We just need to give him a little bit of time to calm down."

The hobbit nodded and wiped at his unformed tears. It was then that the ranger pushed the halfling forward.

"Come my friends, supper is about to be served. You don't want to be late now do you?"

The hobbits shook their heads and rushed off in the direction the distraught elven prince had traveled in mere minutes before.

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Lord Elrond's dinner table was behaving with a surprising amount of amicability considering the mishmash of beings residing within the chairs. There were five dwarves, five men, four hobbits, a wizard, and five elves. That being said, only the hobbits and Aragorn were speaking, and even that was a near silent conversation about whether or not they should be worried about Legolas or not. The hobbits were becoming concerned, for the elven prince was yet to enter the room. The prince's soldiers were also becoming anxious, for they were very close with their captain and the last thing they wanted was to see harm befall him. However, before any of them could discuss the issue further, the large doors leading into the room swung open, revealing none other than Legolas himself.

The elf colored a little when everyone with the room turned to watch him. He dipped his head in greeting and signed to Lord Elrond, _I apologize for being late. I lost track of time among the beautiful sights of your garden. _The elven Lord smiled and repeated the gesture of bowing his head.

"Ah Legolas, you need not apologize. It is good to see you well."

The prince smiled and headed towards his seat, which was placed in-between Aragorn and his soldiers, who immediately stood and bowed at the waist. Legolas simply shook his head and gestured them to sit. _Please my friends, you do not need to do that here. Sit down and enjoy your respite from duty. _The soldiers smiled and nodded before sitting down once again.

From there, Legolas sat himself down and smiled at the hobbits across from him. He then tapped Aragorn on the shoulder, once again asking him silently to translate. As he began signing, the man began to speak.

"Please forgive my behavior earlier my dear hobbits, I did not mean to scare you so or make you feel guilt. What you asked was a valid question and therefore I hold you to no blame. However, all that I ask is that you refrain from asking said question again. It is simply one I am not able to answer at the moment. But please let us not dwell on such morbid thoughts, I had no intent of ruining your diner when I entered here."

The elf finished with a gleaming smile, which was a definite signal to the others around the table to begin with their meal again. And that they did, reasonably peacefully as well. That is until one of the dwarves felt the need to sneer at Legolas, while he was signing something to Aragorn.

"Well ain't that the definition of the elves. They follow a defective and spoiled brat as their leader. And they say that we have the lower intelligences."

All conversation halted as everyone surrounding the gigantic table turned to look at said dwarf, including the blue eyes of one deeply hurting elven prince.

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**Please review y'all!**


	3. Chapter 3: That is Enough!

**Thanks for all of the reviews you have given so far! They have been so kind and I appreciate them so much! So now please enjoy!**

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Legolas' straight shoulders slumped forward with an air of defeat. It was barely noticeable, but his soldiers, Aragorn, and the other elves who knew him well were painfully aware of the change in demeanor. The prince's eyes, which were now boring into the dwarf who had spoken, were so pained and hurt, Legolas looked as though he was going cry any second. It was that fact which prompted Legolas' second in command to stand abruptly from his seat and stare down the dwarf in question. All eyes turned to said elf and watched as the tension within the room built.

"Watch your tongue dwarf."

The elf spoke with strong venom in his voice as he continued.

"The way you speak of our prince is unjust and wrong. He is not defective and most certainly not a spoiled brat. We follow him because of the strength and bravery he possess, not just because of his title. I would personally lay down my life for him without a second thought. So I would recommend that you watch your step and tread lightly from now on."

As the elf finished, the sound of another chair scratching against the floor echoed throughout the now silent room. It was the dwarf who had spoken out, and his face was bright red in anger. The elderly and gray-haired being pointed a threatening finger towards the—also seething—elf as he spoke.

"I can speak about that damn princeling over there however I see fit. I don't care about whether he has you all wrapped around his little finger, because I can see right through it all. He is nothing but damaged goods, can't you see that? Or are you really that blind? That elf sitting over there is nothing but an attention depraved terror, who enjoys ordering others around in any way he find! He is a useless mute, and I will not stand here to be insulted by you!"

Suddenly there was a resonating thud as the ranger slammed his fist down on the table, drawing everyone's attention. The man stood quickly and hissed at the two shouting parties.

"Both of you sit down right now!"

Aragorn turned to glare at the elven soldier as he continued.

"Elerossë, I understand that you only have good intent, but unfortunately you are having the opposite effect on the situation. And you." The man then turned to the dwarf and spoke harshly. "Can't you see what you are doing? The pain you are causing?"

The ranger briefly glanced down at the prince to his right, his expression softening. Confused, the others around the table looked down as well, and their faces fell, for what they saw was deeply saddening. Legolas was sitting stark still, his large blue eyes staring down into the table with an alarming amount of interest. However, the most disturbing part of it all was that the blue orbs held a distant and terrified look to them, and crystalline tears were flowing freely down his face, before hitting the table. Another moment of silence fell across the room before the still standing elven soldier spoke up.

"Prince Legolas, I am sorry for losing my temper, I didn't mean to upset you. Please forgive me."

He received no response from the prince, so Aragorn gently called to Legolas as well.

"Mellon-nin…are you alright?" (my friend)

There was still only silence from the archer, so the man placed a calming hand on Legolas' shoulder. However, as soon as the elf felt the other's touch, he visibly flinched in his chair as he was woken from his seeming trace. He then quickly looked up into the man's face. From there Legolas jumped from the table and ran out of the room as quickly as possible, the stares of everyone in the room at his back.

Silence then stretched over the area as the doorway finally closed. That was when all hell broke loose. Legolas' soldiers all leapt up and began screaming at the dwarves, who were screaming at the elves just as heinously.

"How dare you say such things about our prince otuuk Fe`saign?!" (warg kisser)

"What did you just say to me you pointy-eared bastard?!"

"Do not refer to my kin in such a vulgar way dwarf!"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!"

All heads turned at the sound of Lord Elrond jumping up from the table in pure anger. The elven lord was positively livid as he spoke to the yelling parties.

"You are all behaving like children! Not only are you causing each other pain, but you are driving others, who have held no part in this argument, more pain than you know. So right now check your egos, and your attitudes, and hold your tongues. Now I do not have authority over many of you, but right now am I going to use whatever I do have and tell you to leave this room and cool off in separate areas of my home."

The parties of the argument all looked towards the seething lord with shamed and wide eyes. The dwarves were the first to leave, followed by the elves, who parted with a deep bow as they hurried from the room.

Now it was just Aragorn, Lord Elrond, the men from Gondor, the hobbits, and Gandalf. None really knew what to say, but only the grey wizard had the ability to find words.

"Aragorn, you should go and find Legolas. Someone needs to calm him down as soon as possible."

The ranger nodded grimly and left the room. He sighed as soon as he was out into the fresh air without all of the tension. Aragorn took a moment before heading off down the hallway which led to the room in which Legolas normally stayed in. It took him all of two minutes before he reached the intended room.

Aragorn waited awkwardly outside the door before knocking gently.

"Legolas, open the door mellon-nin. Will you please open the door for me?" (my friend)

He listened carefully as Aragorn waited for an answer, but it didn't come. His worry increasing, the ranger knocked once again, but this time with a little bit more force. However, this time, the door opened. Aragorn cautiously peaked around the door, and saw the golden head which belonged to his friend, perched on a bench out on the room's balcony. He walked inside, knowing that the elf was already aware of his presence. He strode over to the distraught being and silently sat beside him. He turned to look over at the elf, observing his friend's face.

Legolas was staring straight ahead blankly, tears still staining his cheeks. The skin around his eyes was irritated, and his nose had turned red along the tip. The prince didn't even acknowledge the fact that the ranger was now sitting next to him. Seeing this, Aragorn reached out and placed his arm around the archer's shoulders. From there he pulled the elf to him, and he smiled a little when Legolas rested his head lightly his shoulder and began signing.

_What if he's right Estel? Am I really just damaged goods, defective? I mean what if they are all right? Maybe I deserved this, maybe I am just a spoiled brat. _The elf finished by straightening himself and staring at the man. _What if I really am just a freak?_ Aragorn sighed and shook his head. He then grabbed the elf on both sides of his face and gently wiped at the tears gathering on the pale cheeks.

"Do not think that way Legolas. None of the things that dwarf said are truthful. They were merely spoken out of anger and hate. What happened to you all those years ago is horrible, and you deserved none of the pain it brought. However, you were strong enough to overcome every obstacle thrown your way, even the loss of your speech couldn't stop you. So don't let the petty insults of some dwarf, who doesn't know what he's talking about, stop the fantastic bravery you possess. Now, do you still feel doubtful of yourself?"

The prince gaze a small smile and shook his head. _No Estel, I can't say that I do. You have made me smile when I could find no happiness myself, and for that I thank you. _The ranger merely chuckled and lightly cuffed the elf on the arm.

"You do not need thank me for anything gwador-nin. It was my pleasure to bring you as much happiness as possible." (my brother)

Legolas rolled his eyes at the sarcasm and began to sign again. _I feel that I very thoroughly destroyed Lord Elrond's dinner. I should really go and find Elerossë, Tathar, Amroth, Golradir, and Nólatári. After all, Elerossë was only trying to help. _With that, Legolas rose and headed towards the bedroom door, Aragorn following close behind. The two friends exited the room, both of them finally wearing genuine smiles.

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**Please review everyone! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4: Laughter is the Best Medicine

**I am so glad that y'all are enjoying this tale so far. It is actually quite enjoyable to type, and I am planning on taking this story as far as I possibly can. Now, I want to start with the whole respond to the review in a chapter thing, so you guys now that I really do read every word you post and love hearing what you have to say. I apologize to everyone who started reviewing at chapter 1, but right now I am just starting with the most recent reviews from chapter 3.**

**Nyla Evergale: **Thank you very much! I am glad that you are liking my idea so far. Especially since I was a little bit iffy on the plotline seeing as it is slightly out there AU wise.

**Eruaistaniel: **Again, thank you so much for your kind words. It makes me extremely happy to know that you are enjoying what I write.

**Teapot of Transformation: **First of all, I absolutely love your pen-name! It is creative and funny, I loved it as soon as I saw it on the page. As for Legolas' muteness, I too had a similar feeling about the whole idea. It was something that I really wanted to explore and put my own twist on as much as I possibly could. I hope that my next update satisfies you!

**LotR-HP-PJ: **I know, whenever I finally manage to post a new chapter, I always feel so proud of myself! Like sometimes it can be so difficult to post with a crazy schedule like mine. The dwarf who spoke was not in fact Gimli, but I don't really know who else I was intending it to be…anyway yes this will add extra tension, but that is not the only thing which will cause issues….Please continue to enjoy!

**UnfathomableEnigma: **I just want to say that I have read some of your stories and I am a big fan of your writing, and I am honored that you have decided to read some of my work! Yes I know that the beginning was a little bit of a tear jerker, but it needed to be done.

**Please enjoy!**

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An elf and a man walked quietly through the outdoor hallways of Imlardis. Their conversation was amicable and surprisingly light considering the events which occurred mere moments ago.

"I have missed being around you mellon-nin. We must ensure that the gaps between our visits are not so long."

The elf smiled and nodded. _Indeed, it has been too long since I have been able to enjoy your company Estel. Mirkwood has been rather lonely without a certain ranger to liven up its hallways. That being said the healers have greatly enjoyed your lack of presence. It has given them a period of respite from having to deal with us in their rooms. _Legolas' smile only increased mischievously as he winked at the man, who had a similar reaction. Aragorn chuckled and wrapped an arm good-naturedly around his elven friend's shoulders.

"Lenwë and Silimaurë were ready to kill us after we snuck out of our beds. I swear they were so red in the face I thought they were going to restrain us in order to keep us still. Do you remember?"

Legolas' grin grew exponentially as he swatted Aragorn's hand, which was still resting on his shoulder, as the prince shook with what would have been laughter if he could produce sound. _Sometimes I pity the elves under my father's employment. I can only imagine how many horrors they must have experienced during my childhood. _

Aragorn's grin became goofy and lopsided as he laughed loudly and out-right. This made the prince cuff him over the back of his head in a childish form of friendship. The two honestly lost whatever wisdom their age had gained them when they were around each other. That being said, they were rather entertaining to watch in this state. Which is exactly what Lord Elrond was thinking as he walked up behind them.

"I can tell you that I personally dealt with some of those terrors myself Legolas, as did your father."

The two friends whipped around as Elrond spoke. Legolas' pale flesh immediately colored to a bright pink along his cheeks and neck. Aragorn however, only chuckled at the elf's reaction and responded to his foster father.

"Ah, Lord Elrond we were just looking for you."

The elven lord quirked an eyebrow as he turned to look at the prince.

"Indeed? May I ask what for?"

Legolas nodded and bowed his head. He then tapped Aragorn on the shoulder asking him for aid once again. The man agreed and started to speak.

"My Lord, I wished to apologize for ruining your dinner so. I should have kept my rashness to a minimum and stayed to resolve the situation with the elves under my command. Instead I left you to deal with the consequences of Elerossë's argument with the dwarf. Please forgive me my Lord. I had no intention for things to turn to such a sour outcome. In fact after we finish here, I am off to reprimand my soldiers for their behavior at your dinner table."

The prince turned back to Lord Elrond when he felt a hand rest upon his shoulder. He then found himself staring into the wise dark blue eyes of the expert healer.

"My dear Legolas, do not apologize for what has come to pass. You deserved none of the ridicule you received, and your reaction was most definitely just. You have already suffered much, and in one so young. More pain is the last thing you should be receiving. As for your soldiers, do not scold them for the protective nature they exhibited, especially Elerossë. Yes they may have over done it, but it is most definitely a good thing that they are so loyal to you and defending your honor. Their actions in there were completed out of compassion for you and the horrors you have persevered through. They hold you close to their hearts Legolas, especially since they almost lost you. So do not punish them for their actions, thank them for their heart."

The woodland prince looked at Elrond sadly, and nodded with a grim understanding. Aragorn waited for him to begin signing again. When the two exchanged a brief nod, the man began to communicate.

"I understand your reasoning Lord Elrond, I will speak to my soldiers, without reprimanding them. Now please do not take offense when I say this, for I respect you more than you know, but I beg of you to stop referring to me as if I am damaged. I know that I cannot speak, I have come to the understanding that I probably never will again. I know that I was held captive in the never ending darkness of Dol Guldur for three years of my life, where I had unspeakable things inflicted upon me by the spawn of evil. And most importantly I know that I will never, ever, be the same elf I was beforehand. I will forever bare scars on my flesh and my mind, and there is nothing I can do to change that, except for move on from all the pain. Yes, occasionally I feel all of the doubt and all of the pain that constantly clouds my mind, but the rest of the time I just grit my teeth and bare through it. So please, I ask you to stop reminding me of all that has gone wrong in my life and brought me pain."

When Legolas finished, he looked up into the ageless face of Lord Elrond with pleading eyes. The elven Lord merely nodded and smiled sadly. He gripped both of Legolas' shoulders tightly as he spoke.

"Sometimes I forget how wise you truly are tithen-pen. Your bravery and strength never ceases to amaze me, and I deeply apologize for mocking you in any sense, it was certainly not my intent. However, I would like to say one final thing. The things that have befallen you, while yes they are indeed unspeakable, they do not define you in any shape or form." (little one)

The prince smiled and signed something he knew that the lord would understand._ Thank you my lord, your words mean so much to me._ Elrond dipped his head in understanding before turning down the hall in a swish of his regal robes. As he left, Elrond regarded the elf and ranger warmly.

"I bid you two farewell for now. I hope that you find a way to salvage this seemingly depressing evening, but with your record of frivolity when you two are around each other, I do not doubt that you will find something to do. However, I ask you, please do not break anything, or drive anyone insane. The quiet around these halls has been so very nice."

The two friends smirked at each as Elrond strode away from them. Once the elf was out of hearing range, the man turned to the prince and with a devious wink, he spoke.

"What say we go to visit dear old Erestor? He has probably missed us dearly."

* * *

**Alrighty, so that was really supposed to be more of a transition chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it none the less. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5: An Elf and the Mines

**You all are so fantastic, I can't even find words to describe it! Your reviews have all been so kind and I value each and every one of them greatly! And one note, in this chapter the bold italics are Legolas' thoughts, not him signing. If he is signing the text will be in regular italics like it has been in all the other chapters. **

**mjg43: **I am glad that you have been enjoying my writing so far. As for continuing, I am going to try and update as frequently as possible, but no matter how hard I try, my schedule is going to be a little wonky, so keep a look out for new chapters!

**JasmineMoonblossom: **Well I most certainly do not want you to die, so in that case I guess that I will have to write as much as I possibly can! I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm by the way, it truly warms my heart. I hope that you are also still with the living even though it has been so long since I updated. I really do apologize for that by the way, but you know how it is with life…..

**Eruaistaniel: **I know right! Unfortunately, I don't think that peace is going to find him anytime soon, especially with all us writers out here. Anyway, to answer your question, yes I am going to go into detail about what happened to Legolas in Dol Guldur. However, it is going to happen mostly through flashbacks and dream sequences, and the entire picture will be revealed slowly over time. Hopefully it doesn't tease you readers too much…..

**SkyleafAlchemist19**: Yeah, I really wanted to have the input of a figure representing wisdom. I thought about Gandalf at first, but eventually I decided on Elrond because I thought that he would have better insight into Legolas' character. As for Aragorn and Legolas, well those two are so much fun to write for. The friendship they share is just so entertaining, to say the least. As for the translations, I thought it would be interesting to expand on the whole idea of how at times Legolas really needs to rely on others due to his current standing.

**LotR-HP-PJ: **Thank you so much! I felt so proud of myself when I update so quickly, it honestly made me feel better about the fact that I usually take so much time in-between updates! I really wanted to try and find that perfect balance for Legolas' personality, because I definitely wanted to keep that air of perfection about him, which is so common among the elves. However, Legolas is somewhat "damaged" I guess you could say, and therefore he needed to have that sense of vulnerability that most elves and warriors don't usually want to show. I am really glad that you have been so happy with my writing.

**Oh and I just wanted to say that some guest reviews haven't been showing up under my stories, so if you reviewed and I haven't responded here, I am really sorry, but I may not have seen it. Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Farewell. Hold to you purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all free folk go with you."

The words of Elrond were finished with a dip of his head, and the placement of his hand over his heart. When he rose, the elven healer was greeted with the sight of Aragorn bowing his head, the hobbits looking both grim and excited, Gandalf's expression seemingly void of emotion, the proud and stubborn postures of both the Gondorian and the dwarf, and his gesture being returned by Legolas. Elrond looked upon them with a barely perceivable smile. With nothing else to be said, the nine travelers turned and passed over the threshold of Rivendell, simultaneously crossing into a world of unpredictability.

* * *

The newly pronounced fellowship trudged over grassy plains and boulder covered hills as they climbed into the ever growing altitude, which led to the pass of Caradhras. Along the way, they had fallen into a line with Gandalf leading the way, Frodo behind him, then Legolas and Gimli, with Boromir, Sam, and Aragorn following towards the back. The group proceeded forward in complete silence, for all of them were still processing the fact that they had joined a quest holding so much significance. Middle Earth's safety now rested upon their shoulders, and even though it was divided by nine, it did nothing to lessen the weight of it all.

However, their mood seemed to brighten, albeit only slightly, as they stopped to rest among a gathering of boulders. The hobbits immediately began a fire, and threw some hearty morsels into a pan in order to cook a brief meal. The two men sat nearby and watched as the hobbits devoured the minuscule amounts of food, before the two younger hobbits asked with pleading eyes, "Will you train us?" Of course the man were loath to refuse, so the Gondorian hopped up and began teaching Merry and Pippin some basic skills, while Aragorn watched and occasionally corrected their movements.

Meanwhile Gandalf sat a decent distance away with Gimli in front of him, and the elven prince standing several feet to his right. The dwarf and wizard were currently discussing by which means the fellowship would continue. The dwarf was the first to speak.

"If anyone were to ask for my opinion, which I note they have not, I would say we are taking the long way round. Gandalf, we can pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome."

This made the prince—who hadn't been paying too much attention to what the two were saying—pale drastically. He jerked his head towards the direction in which Gimli stood, and his thoughts began to wildly race, along with his heart.

_**Moria?! No, not Moria, oh please Gandalf say no! Please Mithrandir I beg of you don't make me do this! Please! Please no. I do not want to go back to the dark! I have already spent so much time in the never ending darkness, with the foul spawn of Mordor, I do not need to be there any longer! I will die, I will not be able to survive the horror again, no matter how hard I try! My light will fade, my body will perish, and my soul will flee to the halls of Mandos. Oh Mithrandir do not forsake my life so! I fought each and every day against all of the awful things inflicted upon me, and I survived, I kept myself alive, so please do not send me into that horrible place just to face death once again. **_

"No, Gimli. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice."

The words of the wizard were said with a worried frown, but despite the elder's unease, the declaration made Legolas' heart soar. A brief smile captured his lips, and as he released the breath—he didn't know he had been holding—his body relaxed significantly. The elf watched with mild interest as the dwarf began to protest, but Gandalf held true to his original statement and refused to change his mind. The prince was about to approach the wizard in order to agree, but his attention was caught by a shadow beginning to creep into his mind.

Curious, and a little bit worried, Legolas swiftly bounded over the rocky ground ahead of him and found a new perch along Gandalf's right side. His keen and clear blue eyes scanned the horizon before him, immediately spotting the splotch of black staining the blue sky. The archer's brow furrowed as he continued to stare in confusion. Apparently his keenness upon the abnormality was noticed by the others, for he heard them gather behind him as Sam spoke.

"What is that?"

The elf continued to ponder what on earth the blackness could be, while the other members of the fellowship continued to make guesses behind his back. Gimli was the next to speak as he replied to the sand-haired hobbit.

"Nothing…it is just a wisp of cloud."

There was barely a second's pause before Boromir moved closer with the hobbits at his side, and shook his head in denial.

"It is moving fast….against the wind."

It was then that Legolas finally realized what the mysterious grouping was. His eyes widened in worry and he whipped around to stare directly at Aragorn. Once he had the man's attention, he made several hurried signs of _Crebain from Dunland! _Thankfully the ranger immediately understood and screamed to the rest of the fellowship.

"HIDE!"

The nine figures all dove for cover as the black and evil birds circled above them, hunting for prey. All of them held their breath as the scavengers orbited the area for a final time. Once they vacated the air space, the fellowship rose and looked towards Gandalf for direction. The white wizard looked grim, but he pushed the group forward none the less.

"Spies of Saruman, the passage South is being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhras."

* * *

Chilling wind and snow swirled around the heads of the fellowship. The cold bit at their unprotected faces, and seeped through the fabric of their clothes, for they were currently trudging through a deep snow bank, and the snow reached up to the shoulders of even Boromir, the tallest of the company. The group continued pushing themselves forward despite the horrid conditions, but the men were quickly losing energy due to the fact that they were also toting the hobbits, and aiding Gimli along. However, one member of the company was doing reasonably well. Legolas was unhindered by the deep snow due to the fact that the elves possess a natural lightness, which enabled the silent elf to glide easily atop the snow, much to the envy of his companions.

Unfortunately, even the archer began to have issues with proceeding, because a voice speaking of the fellowship's end soon filled the air. The voice was immediately recognized by Gandalf as Saruman, and it was then that the grey wizard began heartily chanting in order to counter whatever curse the tainted wizard was attempting to cast. But try as he might, there was nothing Gandalf could do to stop the piles of snow and ice which fell upon the fellowship as part of the mountain collapsed.

Thankfully the nine walkers remained unharmed by the downfall, and slowly but steadily they all rose from the snow. However, this time protests were finally voiced, Boromir being the first.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city."

The ranger immediately countered the statement with a shake of his head.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard."

Finally Gimli decided to voice his opinion.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain. Let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria."

That particular statement was met with the concerned gaze of Gandalf and an unnoticed look of pain and grief from Legolas. A few moments of uncertainty and silence befell the group as the wizard considered what to say next. Finally, with a sigh of uncertainty, Gandalf spoke.

"We will let the ring bearer decide."

All eyes turned to the chilled and pale hobbit tucked under Aragorn's arm. The halfling looked terrified that such an important decision was being placed upon his shoulders. None the less, Frodo spent several moments thinking it over before he replied. All the while Legolas' heart was pounding, and in his mind he was begging Frodo to choose the mountain.

_**Please young Frodo, I know that you are unaware of what Moria would do to me, but please I beg you not to bring it to me anyway. Moria will only cause me pain and sadness, as it reminds me of every treacherous memory from my time in the dungeons. How I earned my scars, the sound of flesh being ripped open mercilessly, and the day that my voice was permanently stolen from me. Please my young friend do not make me experience the never ending darkness of Moria, I cannot bear the strain on my heart, I simply cannot.**_

That was when the hobbit spoke the one phrase that the elven prince had been pleading never to hear.

"We will go through the mines."

* * *

**Sorry nothing very exciting happened in this chapter, but it was really just a transition chapter to set things up for next time. I also want to say that I purposes made Legolas' thoughts kind of jumbled, frantic, and hard to understand. So I apologize if they were hard for you to read, but I really wanted to show how disjointed Legolas' emotions were. **

**Please review and rate!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Horrors of the Past

**Sorry it has been so long guys. Updating just hasn't been a major priority for me lately, especially because exams are coming up and I am kind of freaking out about it. So I apologize if the next week you go without an update. Once again, bolded italics are Legolas' thoughts/dreams.**

**Pie in the Face: **Indeed, indeed. Angst, sadness, grief, and pain galore are soon to come for our dear elf, and ranger. However, like you said, it our favorite characters suffering does make a fantastic story for us! Thank you by the way, I appreciate the fact that you took the time to send me kind words. I hope you enjoy the rest of my work!

**Guest (reader): **I am glad that you are enjoying my story. It also makes me happy to know that I might bring you just a little bit of joy through my stories! I will try and continue and updating as frequently as possible, but I can only promise so much.

**Guest: **Thank you so much! To be told that my writing is amazing makes me feel, well…AMAZING! This is the only form in which I have really presented my writing to a public group of people, so it has been so nice to receive such friendly recognition from such wonderful people like you! I will most definitely continue to write more _Lord of the Rings _stories, and continue this one until I am fully satisfied with the result.

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

The elf's blue eyes were clouded with an air of anxiety as he grabbed for the ranger's well-muscled upper arm. Legolas desperately tried to drag the man away from his leading spot in the group, in order to communicate with him in a more private manner. Not that it really made much of difference, because none of the others would be able to understand what he was saying.

At the sharp jerk upon his left arm, Aragorn turned around in confusion, so he was facing the elven archer. At the sight of Legolas' jittery and nervous nature, the man's brow creased. Following Legolas' lead, the ranger slowed down his pace, therefore allowing the other of the fellowship to pass him by. Once the two were the last in line, and the other were a decent distance away, Legolas began to move his hands. _Estel I need to talk to you about Moria. I don't know what I am going to do about being in the dark for so long. I feel that it will crush the little resistance I have left. I….I am…. _

The elf paused as he dropped his jaw to rest against his chest. His shoulders deflated simultaneously, causing Aragorn to frown at the change in behavior. The ranger reached out one battle-weathered hand to gently tilt Legolas' chin upwards, while the other lightly grasped the prince's wrist. He looked into the archer's eyes and quietly pushed him to elaborate further.

"You are what Legolas?"

The prince averted his eyes from that of his friend as he signed the final piece of his sentence. _I am scared Estel. In fact I am positively terrified. _Finally Legolas made eye contact with the man and it pained the ranger to see the shame that was now swarming behind the blue orbs from stating such a sentence. When Aragorn didn't immediately reply, the elf dropped his gaze again. _I am behaving like a whining child, complaining about the dark, but I can't help it. Whenever I think about the never ending darkness we are about to enter, I can't help but feel like my heart is being doused in ice water, before an unrelenting hand begins to squeeze it to the point I feel like it will burst. I know not what to do Estel. I wish that I could simply enter the mines without a problem, staying strong like the others, but my soul will not allow me to do so. For that I apologize, I never intended to become such a burden. _

The man sighed as Legolas attempted to pull away from him, which only resulted in Aragorn tightening his grip around the archer's wrist. He pulled the elf ever closer before finally erasing the distance between them as the man pulled his lifelong friend into a tight embrace. The man felt the strong arms of the elf slowly wrap around his back as the tenseness in Legolas' form dissipated. In an attempt to further calm the being in his arms, Aragorn began to murmur in one of the elves' pointed ears.

"My dear Legolas, do not apologize for such things, and do not criticize yourself for behaving as what you call 'a whining child'. Your feelings about the darkness are shared by us all. If anything, you are the only one who has a concrete reason to feel such fear. Besides, what you fear is not the darkness itself, it is what is in it, am I correct?"

Legolas nodded limply against the man's shoulder before slowly pulling away. _Whenever I enter such darkness, all I see are the beasts who tortured me._ At this the man smiled.

"Now stop doubting yourself. I cannot truthfully tell you that once we enter the mines, you will be okay. In all honesty, something horrible is probably going to happen, for danger constantly surrounds us, but I can tell you that there is no way I am going to let anything happen to you."

The prince nodded as he took a deep breath. He then forced a smile to come through his still gloomy composure, but it only came out as a strained grimace. Aragorn could see through the elf's facade as if it were completely transparent, but he didn't want to once again strain Legolas' composure, so he went along with it by firmly gripping his friend's shoulder. Aragorn then turned around and followed after their traveling companions, who by now were much too far ahead. Legolas watched the man's back for a few moments before sighing and running to join him.

* * *

The tension among the fellowship of the ring was high as they trekked among the decaying bodies of the dwarves of Moria. All that they could do was follow the light of the wizard's staff, and try to move through the dank air as quickly as possible. Eight of the nine figures let their eyes wander along the walls and floor of the mines, their curiosity piqued, but there was one who could barely even walk straight, his knees were shaking so terribly. His blue eyes were glued wide open to the dim light of Gandalf's staff for at the current time, that small light was the only thing keeping him sane.

The prince's condition was deteriorating quickly, but none of the others couldn't really tell due to the bad lighting, and the fact that they were more focused of the other possible dangers around them. However, if they could really see him, they would be able to tell how much being in the mines was affecting him. Legolas'—already terribly pale—skin was now an ashen and sallow. It accentuated the dark shadows that ran under his eyes, and along the deep hollows of his cheek bones. His once sparkling eyes had become even more dull and clouded, the hope that used to consume them was completely gone. All of these changes combined gave Legolas the haunting look of a skeleton. He was also rather unstable on his feet at the moment, but he hid it well, for he had been given many years to perfect his strategy on how to hide his pain. Although, however calm the elf may have appeared on the outside, inside he was collapsing in on himself.

_**When will this suffocating darkness end?! When will I be free from this horror?! By the Valar, I already fought through this mess once, why are the gods forcing me to do this again?! What on earth have I done to deserve this?! Please someone tell me why I cannot find peace anywhere?! The world must be determined to kill me, or make me suffer as much as possible, for I cannot believe that this added to my past can be a coincidence. I just need to get out of here, then everything will be fine, then things will go back to normality, which is good, very, very good. **_

"Legolas why don't you take this time to rest mellon-nin." (my friend)

The sudden comment from Aragorn snapped the elf out of his morbid thoughts. He turned to look at the ranger and found that the man was now standing several feet away with the rest of the fellowship, who were watching him with curious expressions. It took him a moment to realize that he had stopped walking during his thought process, and the fellowship had taken that as a sign he needed rest. Legolas shook his head in denial and signed quickly to his friend. _No it is fine, I am fine. We do not need to stop. _

"No Legolas, everyone needs a rest…" the man paused and stepped closer to the elf so Legolas was the only one who could hear him. "…especially you. Don't think I didn't notice how you have been nearly tripping over your own feet for the past hour. Please get some sleep Legolas, your body needs rest in order to cope with all of the stress you are currently under. It is alright to show some sort of weakness Legolas, you do not have to be invincible."

The elf frowned, but he nodded none the less and walked over to where the rest of the fellowship was currently setting up a make-shift camp. He didn't bother to interact with anyone else before he laid down his bedroll, threw his pack to the side, and lay down to rest. It only took several deep breaths before the prince's eyes glazed over in the elven form of sleep. Eventually, the rest of the fellowship also embraced the sweetness of sleep, with the exception of Aragorn who was standing guard. The ranger sat a little ways away from the others, seeing as everything around them was calm, or so he thought.

Legolas' face was currently contorted in a mask of pain, and his limbs were twitching ever so slightly as he worked through the nightmare plaguing his mind.

* * *

"_**Not so tough now are ya elf?"**_

_**The tortured being screamed once again as the blazing hot metal was run across his skin, searing the already mutilated flesh of his chest. The once flawless skin bubbled and blistered as the screaming of utter agony sounded once again, but twice as loud. Finally the elf—who was swinging from rusty chains attached to the ceiling, so his toes dangled just above the ground, therefore putting unhealthy strain on the being's shoulders—was given a second of reprieve as the molten material was removed, only to be replaced by the cruel whip his captors so commonly used. It was laced with shards of broken glass, metal, and wooden splinters, so every time it was slashed against flesh, it dug to the bone, and tore the skin away. The body jerked as the first blow from the whip landed upon his shoulder. **_

_**The elf cried out in pain as blood spurted out from the new wound. Another blow landed across his back, re-opening his old wounds and causing them to bleed anew. **_

"_**Ya're weal elf, and ya always will be. I thought the elves were supposed to be strong, but look at ya! Ya're pitiful, none of the others will want ya now, I mean why would they? Ya're nothing now. No pride, no strength, no nothing. Ya're useless."**_

_**Each taunt was extenuated by a brutal slash of the whip, resulting in more and more screams from the poor elf. By now his head has dropped so his chin was resting along his collar bone, the strength to keep it raised non-existent. His breathing was harsh and uneven as the destroyed body attempted to cope with the overwhelming pain and stress it was under. **_

"_**Leave 'im be! We don't want 'im to die just yet!"**_

_**The command from the leading orc caused the others to snarl in protest, but they released their weapons none the less, leaving the captive to suffer alone in his lightless cell. Once the beasts were gone, the being's breathing became nothing more than soft shudders as his tears of despair caused his throat to close in on itself. The salty liquid streamed down his face as broken words fell from his cracked lips and bloody lips in a morbid mantra. **_

"_**Please kill me….please kill me…..please kill me…..please…."**_

_**His words were stopped when the rest of his strength left him. The elf's broken body slumped even more as his flesh throbbed from the new wounds, but honestly, the being was quite used to the pain by now. Being held in a never ending hell for three years will do that to you, or at least he thought it had been close to three years. He had been tracking the seasons based upon the mud, leaves, and sometimes snow which caked the bottoms of his captor's boots, but sometimes it was hard to tell due to his condition, and the fact that he was slowly dying.**_

_**The being had all but given up on the thought of being rescued, for his family probably thought he was dead, and he might as well be. He would never be the same elf he was before this mess, he would never get to see his father again, his friends, or his cousins. He would never get to explore middle earth, see the mountains or his beautiful forest again, none of it. The elf started to sob, and sob, there was nothing he could do to stop his fate, his imminent death. **_

_**That was when the door to his cell opened once again, and the heavy clank of metal boots filled the dank air again. Followed by a jeer from another one of his captors.**_

"_**Well elf, it is yar lucky day. We've been allowed extra time with ya today."**_

* * *

The man frowned when he thought he heard a whimper from behind him. He turned to look back at the fellowship and found that everyone excepted for Legolas was sleeping peacefully. The elf was thrashing about and tears were streaming down his face. He was mouthing frantic phrases as he moved, and the man could only assume that he was caught up in a nightmare from his time as a captive.

Worrying for his friend, Aragon leapt up and hurried over to the elf's side. He knelt beside the elf and placed a hand across Legolas' forehead, while he placed the other on the prince's shoulder. He began shaking the elf in desperation to wake him up, when the elf's thrashing became more and more intense. It eventually developed into a sort of convulsion, and the tears began to pour with renewed vigor down the elf's pale cheeks. Soon the man had to begin calling out to Legolas, because the elf refused to wake.

"Legolas please, you are only dreaming, you are safe, and you are here with me and the fellowship."

Nothing happened, the elf only continued to thrash and mouth various words frantically. It was then that the man realized what it was the prince was trying to say, and it broke his heart. The elf was silently screaming "kill me, please, please kill me". The ranger quickly gripped the sides of Legolas' face in an attempt to still his thrashing. Finally the man's calls reached the suffering elf, and the prince's body jerked upwards into a sitting position. His blue eyes cleared and he immediately grabbed for the man's neck. His arms locked around the ranger as if the man was his life source. It was then that Aragorn began to whisper in the elf's ear as Legolas sobbed silently.

"It is alright mellon-nin, you are safe, shhhh Legolas I am right here, I promised you remember, I said that nothing was going to harm you here, and I intend to keep the promise. Peace Legolas, shhhh be at peace, please be at peace." (my friend)

* * *

**Please review guys! I love hearing what you have to say. Oh and a quick note, when Legolas is speaking in the dream, it is because that memory was before his voice was stolen.**


	7. Chapter 7: Don't Give Up Hope

**My apologies that I didn't follow my schedule of posting on the weekends. Final exams are this week and I got pretty caught up in studying like a crazy person. Anyways, thank you guys, your reviews are so greatly appreciated! I have just started adding in chapter titles as well because I always enjoy stories with chapter titles, so I thought I might give it a try. Please enjoy!**

**Pie in the Face**: …..Indeed, I have many evil tricks hidden within my rapidly typing fingertips, unfortunately for Legolas. Thanks for your encouragement, I am so glad that seeing my chapters bring extra happiness to your day! That is probably one of my main goals for posting on here. As for Legolas' past, yes more will be revealed over time, and yes it will most certainly get even more angsty and painful for our dear elf, and some others as well….cough, cough, Aragorn, cough, cough….

**Teapot of transformation:** Well, I wanted to him to hold the elvish "perfection" but at the same time have a slightly off air about him. I mean anyone would be after the horror he endured, so yes he is incredibly strong, just not typically so. I do plan to continue, but how frequently I update is most definitely unknown.

**LotR-HP-PJ:** It is all cool, I do that all the time. I always hate it though because then I get really confused when I read a chapter and nothing makes sense. I am glad that you liked the two of them though! Hopefully you won't miss any other updates, because I love hearing what you have to say.

**Evania Awristeta: **I don't know whether that is a good or bad thing! Hopefully you wanted to cry because of our dear elf's suffering and not because my writing is painful to you…Anyway, thank you for your review.

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: **I know, but we needed a good old angst chapter didn't we? I totally agree with you on the homework thing! I just had my last final exam for the trimester and the studying was grueling! As for the torture, I have not done any research, I am really using bits of information from what they use in the books and movies, and other things I have read before. (But I am not taking the words of others, I would never do that!)

**JasmineMoonblossom: **I know, poor, poor Legolas. Sometimes I feel bad for writing him such tragic pasts, but what can you do? I hope that you don't cause yourself too much pain in your designated corner to cry within…

**Neko Airie: **Yes his full back story will be revealed in time, but for now it is just flashbacks and dreams. Thank you for the compliments by the way, I am glad that I am able to bring you joy through my writing. I greatly appreciate your review!

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

The elf's body shook violently as he silently sobbed within the grasp of his friend. His eyes were glued tightly shut as he tried to block out the horrific images that constantly assaulted his mind. It was the perfect form of torture, because no matter what he did to get away from his past, the memories and scars would forever remain within him. The orcs had done more damage to him, physically and mentally, over those three years than he ever had done upon him before. It was nothing short of a miracle that he stood here to tell the tale today.

"Legolas, hush now. You are alright, everything is alright. It was just a nightmare, merely your memories coming back to haunt you. The foul beasts who hurt you are gone, they were demolished long ago, and they will never hurt you again. So breathe and allow yourself to calm down. Your heart rate skyrocketed—rather impressively I might add—and it is going to take a moment for it to drop back down. Calm yourself Legolas."

The soothing words of the man fell on deaf ears as the elf continued to stay on the verge of hyperventilating. Sighing in slight exasperation. Aragorn pulled ever so little away from the prince's shaking form and moved his calloused hands to rest upon the sides of the elf's face. He then raised Legolas's chin and found himself looking into positively terrified eyes.

"Look at me and pay attention to my voice only Legolas. Tune out the memories, forget about their faces and their voices for a moment, and just focus on me."

Finally the elf took a shaky, yet deep breath, and slowly released it. He repeated the motion several more times before he nodded and stiffly untangled himself from the ranger. The archer bowed his head a little when he realized what he had just done. Seeing the change in demeanor, the man frowned and spoke softly again.

"Mellon-nin, do not be ashamed of your fear. It is as it said before, just because the hobbits and Boromir believe you to be invincible," Aragorn added with a small smile, "does not mean that you must behave that way. Weakness and fear are emotions everyone feels, and they most certainly do not change the type of person you are." (my friend)

The elf still looked skeptical, but he nodded none the less and straightened his posture. _Who said that I am not invincible?_ Legolas smirked half-heartedly as he finished signing, which made the ranger chuckle. He held his hands up in a mock defensive gesture as Legolas moved to sit at his right side.

The two settled into a comfortable silence again as the prince leaned against Aragorn's shoulder. It was obvious that the elf was exhausted from his latest nightmare, and clearly needed sleep, but wasn't going to allow himself to give in to his desires. Therefore, the ranger was prompted to nudge the elf back towards his sleeping roll.

"Legolas you should really try and get some more sleep."

The elf looked incredulously at the man for a moment before rolling his eyes. _Do you honestly think that I am going to be able to sleep after that? Honestly, I would rather be tired but feel relatively safe, then still be tired but be plagued by nightmares. So if you wouldn't mind the company, I think that I would rather just sit here with you on your watch._

As the prince finished, Aragorn sighed and nodded. The elf flashed him a wink before settling down with his head on the man's shoulder. And so the two sat, staring off into the darkness before Legolas felt the man shiver ever so slightly. He rose from his spot beside the ranger and swiftly grabbed the light blanket atop his make-shift bed. The archer wrapped it tightly around Aragorn's shoulders as he sat back down. _I know it isn't much, but it should help a little._

The man smiled in acknowledgement and mumbled a thank you.

"Hannon lle Legolas. Sometimes I greatly envy the elves' resistance to the weather." (thank you)

This made the elf's smile widen a little. He then pulled his legs up to his chest and rested his chin along the tops of his knees. Silence fell upon them for a third time, when the prince's smile began to fade. _Why did this have to happen Estel? Why couldn't I have just been slain on that fateful day? _

"Legolas, do not wish away your life so nonchalantly. Think of what would have happened if you perished instead. Your father would have surely faded away or left for the grey havens, leaving your people without a leader and without their hope. Also, think of your friends. The twins barely slept while you were gone since they spent so much time looking for you. Arwen was a wreck. When she wasn't cry herself into periods of fitful sleep, she was cursing every known evil on middle earth. Lastly, think of what would have happened to me. I was eight years old when you were taken, and you might as well have been a blood relative to me. I didn't understand what was happening to you at the time, but I did know that it was something horrible. The knowledge that you were in pain, and I couldn't help you made me sick to my stomach every day. Then when the elves found your knives and bow in a pool of your blood, my world came crashing down. My best friend was supposedly dead. My brother in heart had perished in pain, alone, and with the spawn of Mordor. I didn't leave my room for weeks after that, because everywhere I went I ran into something that reminded me of you. So do not make me go through that again by wishing your life away."

By now the man was looking down upon his friend with glossy eyes. The elf silently sighed and brought a hand up to cup the man's cheek for a brief moment. _Never would I wish for you to suffer Estel, never. I know that I am here for a reason, what that reason is remains a little hazy, but that doesn't mean it is not there. I do not plan to leave this world anytime soon, not until after you have passed, and your children sit comfortably on the throne of Gondor. I cannot deny however, that my grief does not attempt to consume me each and every day. Never can the past be undone, and never can it be changed, so I must learn to quell my grief and continue on. _

The man smiled as he stretched his back.

"Exactly my friend. And know that you are never going to be alone in that journey."

Legolas turned back to his friend and bowed his head in thanks. From there he moved back into his original position of his golden head resting upon the man's shoulder. _Thank you Estel. You have been the best possible friend and ally during the times I have truly needed it. _

"Of course Legolas, you know that I would never desert you."

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**Please review! I am also going to try and update once more before Thanksgiving, seeing as I am going to have no time to write after that, so be on the lookout for new updates!**


	8. Chapter 8: A Devil Returns

**Oh my goodness you guys, I have officially hit over 10,000 views for my stories! This is an all-time record for me, and I am so positively overjoyed you don't even know….Anyway, thank you for your reviews, as always they are ever so appreciated. Oh and a quick note, the orc's speech might be a little hard to read at first, but if you need help, I suggest using a light southern accent. Bold italics are flashbacks of Legolas'.**

**Pie in the Face: **I know right! Said moments really are my guilty pleasure. I love reading them and writing them, so you can most definitely expect more in the future. Of course I have to spoil my readers, I mean you read my work, leave the kindest reviews, and offer me ideas. It is the least I can do to update as much as possible.

**Nyla Evergale: **Yeah, you just got to have the comfort to balance out the darkness. Thank you for your review!

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: **Alright first off, I am very curious about your pen name…I noticed it last time I updated and now I would very much like to know what inspired you, that is if you want to tell me…Anyway, I know that I still have a lot of angst to smooth over with fluff like you said, but unfortunately there is not going to be an overabundance of such sweetness throughout this story.

**Madame Noize:** Why thank you. I would be lying if I said that I was confident with this idea, because I didn't know how people would react to such an AU scenario. However, I must say that I have been over joyed with the reaction I ended up receiving. I am really glad that you are enjoying my writing!

**LotR-HP-PJ:** Thank you, I struggled with this one a little bit, but I was happy with the end product. As for the updating thing, I know exactly what you are talking about and let me just say, it is quite possibly one of the most annoying things. I hope you have, or had, a fantastic Thanksgiving as well!

**Reader: **Thank you dear reader! It has always been a goal of mine when I write scenes like this that I keep the balance between what is reasonably plausible and what is utter sap. As for Legolas' behavior, the whole traumatized thing actually has a real life muse that it is based off of. A friend of mine has a pretty screwed up past, and I took some of her behavioral traits after a nightmare or something haunting, and mixed that with the Legolas character we all know and love. However, I am very glad to know that I managed to make it convincing for you guys, because I wasn't so sure how the mixture would translate in the mind of the reader.

**Please enjoy!**

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Slowly the rest of the fellowship drug themselves out from under the blanket of sleep, all of them dismayed to find that it was still dark and dank within the cavern. After several minutes in which the group could prepare themselves for the day's trek, Gandalf once again took the lead with his staff lighting the way. The nine walkers fell into a rhythm behind him with the hobbits and Boromir staying close to the front, followed by Gimli, with Aragorn and Legolas towards the end.

The group traveled in relative silence, and Aragorn noticed with a sense of relief, that Legolas seemed to be much more at ease with himself. He certainly wasn't in top condition, for the elf was most definitely paler than normal, his steps were uneven, and the ranger was unsure whether Legolas was going to be able to walk unaided the entire time, but at least he didn't look like he was about to collapse.

As they continued on, Gimli suddenly gave a loud shout, which was followed by Gandalf's attempt to pull the dwarf back. The group could only watch as Gimli sprinted forward in desperation to enter one of the rooms several feet away. The other eight figures immediately ran after him, only to find that the stout warrior had fallen to his knees as he grieved over a large stone coffin. Several dwarvish characters were inscribed along the top, and Gandalf read them out loud.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fudin, Lord of Moria. He is dead then. It's as I had feared."

Gimli gave another wail of despair as the others finished filing into the room. They watched as the wizard picked up a dusty book and began to read.

"They have taken the Bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates...but cannot hold them for long...the ground shakes...drums in the deep...we cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no- one save us? They are coming…."

As the wizard continued speaking, Legolas began to tune him out as his thoughts ran wild. His eyes grew wide and he instinctively moved closer to the ranger at his left. His hands shook as he signed. _Aragorn we need to get out of here, we need to leave. Staying here will only result in our death, we need to get out, we need to get out, please get me out of here, please, please, please get us out, we need to get out, all I want is to get out, plea-_

The elf was paused in the middle of his rant as the man grabbed his wrists, effectively ceasing the elf's movements. He then placed both his hands on Legolas' face as he spoke.

"Legolas now is not the time. You need to calm down and have your wits about you. We are going to need your skills in order to survive this."

The elf was about to respond when there was a large bang as a skeleton came crashing down a nearby well. Everyone turned to face the sheepish looking hobbit in the corner. He was staring lifelessly at the ground as Gandalf began to berate him for his stupidity. However, the wizard was cut short as the sound of drums filled the air. The entire fellowship froze, as they all turned to look at each other. The hobbits huddled together and Gandalf stood before them as protection. The dwarf leapt up upon Balin's tomb and Boromir ran to close the door, before grimly announcing that the orcs were in the possession of a cave troll. As the Gondorian ran back to his post beside the dwarf, Aragorn and Legolas turned to stare at each other. Each locked eyes with the other as Aragorn drew his bow and notched an arrow.

Seeing the terrified eyes of the elf, Aragorn turned to him and spoke softly in elvish.

"Sidh Legolas, heb-lle dol. Aid baur lle bo lle curu." (Peace Legolas, keep your head. We need you on your game.)

Legolas nodded in return and swallowed thickly. He then pulled out his bow as well and notched his first arrow as well, pulling the string all the way back to his chin. It was then that all hell broke loose. As the first sight of mangled orc flesh, Legolas let his arrow fly, quickly stringing another as the screech of an orc pierced the air. Soon arrows were flying through the air and the measly door, which at one point protected the fellowship, swung open and the orcs came rampaging through. Five or ten of them dropped dead immediately as arrows imbedded themselves into their bodies. The others just ran over them as they moved to attack the fellowship.

The ranger exchanged his bow for the sword at his hip, and dove into fighting alongside the dwarf and his kinsman. Meanwhile the hobbits stabbed at the orcs in an attempt to slow them down, so Gandalf could finish them off himself. Legolas was still firing off arrows with a ferocity fueled by absolute terror.

As he fought he could feel the ice of his memories creeping into his heart. Yes he had fought orcs after he was captured, but that had always been in the light, in his home where he felt safe, and with his entire battalion behind him. Now he was in the pitch black with six people he didn't know, Aragorn, and Gandalf. The elf was breathing hard and his eyes were glued open.

Once again he reached behind him and found that his quiver was empty. Thinking quickly, he smashed the skull of the closest orc with his bow, and then with a quick pin of his wrist, the bow was sheathed once again and the elf's twin knives were grasped firmly within his hands.

And so the fighting went on, but things only became more difficult as the lumbering troll entered the room. The beast was met by the two men, wizard, and dwarf, while the hobbits and elf continued fighting against the orcs.

Legolas was currently fighting a circle of about seven orcs, when suddenly the air left his lungs as a gigantic weight smashed into his back, forcing him to the ground. The elf flipped over onto his back as soon as he hit the ground, but he found himself trapped by a weight on his chest. He looked up to find two gleaming eyes staring down at him. Then he heard a voice which froze his heart.

"Well, well, what are the chances? Ya look different all cleaned up elf."

The prince started to thrash underneath the orc, as the beast unsheathed a rusted knife and pressed it to Legolas' neck. The elf could feel the metal biting into his skin as one of his old captors pressed down. The orc atop him at the moment was the second in command to the orc who tortured him most of the time, and this one was just as bad. Some people say that all the orcs look the same, but Legolas would have been able to recognize each and every orc who caused him pain, although he hoped that he would never have to.

However, as the orc's sneer grew even wider, Legolas knew that he didn't have any choice, but he was completely immobilized. The orc now had his wrists pinned as well, making his ability to fight back non-existent. He turned his head to look desperately for Aragorn, someone to help him, but all of them were busy with the cave troll. Legolas felt tears of frustration and fear pool along the rims of his eyes, as he tried to create some sort of sound to alert his friends, but his mouth only shaped into a silent scream. The beast only chuckled darkly as he pushed the knife down even further, finally drawing blood.

"Go 'head elf, scream for yar friends to come an get ya. Oh wait, ya can't sorry about that. 'Ow's it been without that pretty little voice of yar's?"

As Legolas continued to thrash, the orc only smirked and pressed down even further on the knife.

"Maybe we shouldn't 'ave taken yar voice elf, I did enjoy it when ya screamed."

It was then that the orc raised the knife and tilted his head to the side.

"Well, as much as I've enjoyed our little re-acquaintance, it's time to die elf, see ya later."

However, as the beast brought the knife down to effectively end Legolas' life, he found himself unseated, and he was thrown to the ground. The beast snarled and leapt up, only to come face to face with the elf, for during the moment when the orc prepared to strike, he loosened the hold he had upon Legolas' wrists, therefore giving the elf just enough leverage to free himself.

So now the two fought. It was an absolutely vicious battle that would end with only one standing. The orc was actually doing a surprisingly good job of defending itself against the ferocious elf, who now had the tears he once tried to hide, streaming down his cheeks. Legolas had his teeth bared as well while the orc was still smirking as it taunted the elf.

"I'll give it to ya elf, ya can fight damn well, but that don't change the fact yar still pathetic. Ya can't even keep yarself for crying like a new born babe. 'Ave ya no respect for being a true man? Then again, ya didn't 'ave much to begin with did ya? I can still remember ya screams as we whipped ya, burned ya, and tortured ya for years on end. God I wish it 'and't ended. Those three years were the best of my life."

Legolas turned his head away for a split second as flashes of his torture flew before his eyes.

"_**Come on elf! Are ya truly no better than a mewling ass?" The orc chanted as the whip was brought down over, and over, and over again.**_

The elf gave another slash of his knives as the orc backed away.

_**The smell of burned flesh wafting through the already foul air, causing the captive to heave and retch dryly, as he stood on his hands and knees.**_

Finally the orc was trapped, it's back pressed against a nearby wall as Legolas closed in with his knives swinging back forth the block the beast's feeble attempts at a defense.

_**A viscous liquid being forced down his throat, burning as it eroded the elf's vocal cords. His screams going silent as the ability to produce sound slowly fled him.**_

Suddenly there was a sharp flash of ivory as Legolas decapitated the orc in one more swing of pure rage. The elf watched the mangled body slid to the floor with a hollow thump. He stood with his salt-rimmed eyes staring at his handy work, not able to look away from one of the, now dead, devils who haunted his nightmares. However, he was drawn away from the orc's body when he heard the familiar voice of the ranger shout his name.

"LEGOLAS! THE TROLL!"

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**I apologize for the cliff hanger guys! As always please review!**


	9. Chapter 9: More Devastation Arrives

**I am so sorry that I didn't update according to my normal schedule, but I kinda had to do all my homework over the weekend because I am went to the…wait for it…MIDNIGHT PREIEMERE OF THE HOBBIT ON THURSDAY! It was so fantastic! I positively loved it, and it was most definitely worth the exhaustion I felt the next day! I also ended up at the Macklemore concert the same night. It was the finale of his world tour, and it made it extra awesome because Seattle is his home town! Anyway, please enjoy!**

**Eruaistaniel: **Yes, poor, poor Legolas…but his suffering is unfortunately necessary. However, hopefully his life will gain some light-hearted moments *wink, wink*. You can expect many more surprises headed your way, whether they are good surprises or not, well….that is still to be determined.

**I-have-a-llama-army: **OMGOSH I know! The sadness is rather exciting is it not? There will be many more flashbacks/dreams, and each and every one of them will contain a heaping serving of drama, angst, and many other trying emotions for our dear elf!

**Mjg43: **I apologize, I know that waiting sucks, but I have been busy, and therefore wasn't able to post when I planned. I am really glad that you are enjoying everything so far, having people like you following my work makes me so much more willing to update.

**Pie in the Face:** Totally, badass elf to the rescue! As for your question, I may have possibly taken a little bit of artistic license, but if you look at it from a movie-verse point of views, Legolas does yell orcs when they are in the tomb. You never know though…for the sake of plot, let's just say that somehow an orc made it inside Moria. I am really glad that you have been so hooked on my story, and that you are excited for updates!

**Spottedmask12: **Well I can't give away too much, but I can tell you that things are only going to get more exciting as time progresses!

**LotR-HP-PJ:** Sometimes I really do feel bad about writing such things, but not too bad, otherwise I wouldn't be writing, which we all know isn't going to happen anytime soon! Thanks for the praise, enjoy!

**Guest: **Thank you so much! It means so much to mean to hear people like you say such nice words! I am really glad that you are enjoying my work, I mean to hear it called brilliant…just wow! I sincerely hope that you enjoy this update.

**RandomPerson: **Yeah, it was actually a suggestion from a friend of mine who had read through some of my other stories with orcs, and thought that their speech was "too sophisticated". I was having trouble writing with the new way of them speaking, so she ended up helping me out, and in the end I had to make some edits so it was a little bit easier to understand. Unfortunately, I don't think that it worked out as well as I planned. Sorry about that….

**JasmineMoonblossom: **I am sorry, I certainly did not intend to make you sad. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it with some awesome elf-badassery behavior from a certain Mirkwood archer!

**Cottoncandybeefalo: **I know what you mean, most of the time I am the same way. I am glad that I was able to break the mold, so to speak, and interest you with my story. I hope you enjoy my continuing updates!

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The elf whipped around to see the brutish troll lumbering towards him, an oversized weapon grasped firmly in its hand. The archer's glassy blue eyes widened, and though he knew that he needed to move quickly, the prince felt as though his feet were bound to the earth below him by a forceful spell. Legolas could hear the cries from the rest of the fellowship as the troll grew closer and closer, yet he still did not move. Finally, when the troll was no more than five seconds away from snuffing out the immortal's life, Legolas began to sprint forward, steadily gaining more and more speed. The other walkers were protesting in utter confusion as the archer closed the distance between himself and the troll, instead of moving in the other direction.

It was then that the prince changed his course ever so slightly, in order to run up the side of a fallen section of wall. Using the momentum the action gave him, Legolas once again adjusted his trajectory to leap upward and climb up upon the arm of the beast. The troll was obviously enraged with the elf for it immediately tried to make a grab for him. However, the prince was much too fast and managed to avoid each attempt, therefore successfully making his way up to stand on the troll's shoulders.

His balance wasn't great due to the fact that the beast was desperately trying to shake him off. However, he retained himself long enough to string three arrows and fire them directly into the skull of the troll. It screeched in pain, but refused to fall. Legolas silently huffed in frustration as he leapt off the beast, moving into a roll as he collided with the ground. Once he finished moving, the prince jumped up from the ground and immediately grabbed one of his knives to stab an orc in front of him, killing it instantly. As it fell to the ground, the elf pulled out his other knife and dove back into fighting.

After several moments of his ruthless slaughter, Legolas felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He turned around and placed his knife against the other being's throat out of second nature, his chest heaving and tears rolling down his cheeks. However, the prince dropped his hand when he saw that the one behind him was really the ranger. The two friends had two or three seconds of quiet where they both ignored the battle at hand, and Aragorn fell forward, wrapping his arms around Legolas. It was as long of a reunion as they could spare in the moment, before they had to separate and continue fighting. But before they completely moved apart, Aragorn extended a hand and gently wiped the tears from the elf's face with a small smile. The elf tried to return the smile, but Aragorn had returned to fighting before he could. The elf watched him turn away with a saddened expression, before the prince himself did the same.

Everyone was fighting fiercely as orcs continued to drop like flies. Screams of the dying and fatally injured filled the air, which mingled harshly with the frustrated and exasperated groans, grunts, and partial yells of the fellowship. Finally everyone congregated around the troll as it struck Frodo with the spear in its possession. Several screams of despair filled the air as the hobbit fell forward, not moving an inch. That was when Legolas seized his chance, and fired two arrows deep into the throat of the beast. It stood for several more moments before it crashed to the ground, dead.

Eight members of the fellowship swarmed to the fallen hobbit, and all eight were positively shocked when Frodo rose from the ground, completely unharmed. After a brief reunion the group broke off in a quick sprint for the closest exit. But before they all left the chamber, Aragorn once again pulled Legolas aside. With a worried gaze, he grabbed the elf's hand in a tight grasp.

"Mani marte mellon-nin?" (what happened my friend)

The elf looked slightly strung out as he replied. _I am alright Estel. Demons from my past re-emerged, and it merely shook my confidence and focus for a brief moment. I apologize for worrying you and possibly putting the fellowship in danger. _Legolas cast his gaze towards the ground as he made an attempt to follow the retreating forms of the fellowship, but before he could get very far the ranger grabbed his upper arm. This caused the elf to spin back around quickly until he was facing the concerned and flustered face of the man.

"Legolas that is not nothing! Are you injured? What exactly happened!? I mean there are very, very few things that fluster you so!"

The archer so badly wanted to spill everything he was feeling at the moment. How he was on the verge of breaking down in tears once again, how memories of torture were assaulting his mind in a never ending stream, how he could barely concentrate on anything due to the fact that the lump in his throat was steadily growing, or how he was inwardly screaming and wailing, but instead he smiled—well, more like grimaced—and signed to Aragorn with trembling hands. _I told you I am fine Estel. I am not injured, and right now we really don't have the time to tell you what just happened._ The ranger looked at him skeptically, but realizing that what the elf spoke of was in fact true, he nodded and raised his eyebrows.

"Alright, but after this, I want you to tell me everything."

Legolas nodded and rushed from the room, desperately trying to catch up with his companions, who were a decent distance away by now. He and then man quickly closed the distance between them just in time to have to deal with the unstable steps in the depth of Moria. The nine figures raced down the carved stones before they reached a section which was missing a decent sized chunk. The majority of the group was regarding the obstacle with worry, but the single elf within the group pushed forward and jumped swiftly over the gap, beckoning the wizard to follow. One by one the others followed the prince's lead. After a paralyzing moment of fear for Aragorn and the ring bearer, the group continued on until they reached the bridge of Khazad Dum.

The rumbling of the Balrog was the first warning, but the fellowship simply did not head it enough, which resulted in Gandalf taking part in a stand-off with the creature, while the others watched helplessly. Then the worst happened, Gandalf was harshly pulled down over the edge of the bridge with only three words as his goodbye.

"Fly you fools!"

And then he was gone. The walkers watched numbly as arrows from the screeching goblins rained down upon them, forcing the group to flee with tears in their eyes. Once they were outside, the full extent of what happened crashed down upon the group. The Gondorian was trying to hold the seething dwarf back from re-entering the mines, Pippin was being consoled within the grasp of his equal distressed cousin, Sam was sitting with his head in his hands, and Aragorn was currently trying to bring Frodo back to the group.

Meanwhile Legolas was staring down at the ground, all of his pent up emotions crashing down upon him at once, with the new bouts of grief from losing Gandalf adding to the strain. His mind, body, and heart were frozen in shock as he tried and tried to comprehend what was going on around him, what was happening to him. The elf's breathing was become more and more erratic as his tears practically drowned him.

That was when he heard Aragorn calling his name. He turned around slowly to see the ranger gesturing for him and Boromir to gather the others and push them forward. Legolas watched with a slightly distorted field of vision. Everything seemed to slow down as Aragorn approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Legolas, come now, I need your help."

The elf simply stared at him with blank eyes and that was when the man became seriously concerned. He grabbed both the elf's shoulders now, and spoke to him softly.

"Legolas what is wrong? You said you were not injured! Did you lie to me? Are you hurt?"

Aragorn was waiting for an answer when, to his horror, Legolas' pale blue eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed to the ground.

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**Please review, and again I apologize for the long wait in-between updates!**


	10. Chapter 10: Brothers of the Heart

**Thank you all for the reviews you have left! They are all so kind and your words are genuinely encouraging. Please know that I am always eager to hear your thoughts and ideas! Also, this will probably be my last update until several days after Christmas. I may not have school, or even celebrate the holiday, but my schedule still seems to be getting more and more packed as the hours go by! Anyway, as always I hope y'all enjoy this chapter! P.S. Sam's injury in this chapter is actually inspired by an actual injury that happened to Sean Astin while they were shooting Lord of the Rings.**

**Cottoncandybeefalo: **Ah, the cursed cliffhanger…I apologize for making your suffer so, but I needed to throw that little twist in there, I mean it seemed like the most logical thing to do at the time, as if that chapter didn't have enough action in it already. I am glad that you enjoyed hearing my reply! Often I would see other authors write responses in their stories, and I felt that it was the right thing to do in order to thank y'all instead of just saying a group thank you in the beginning. The fact that you are enjoying my story so much and leave me reviews most definitely makes you special in my book! I hope to hear more from you as this story continues on! Thank you reviewing!

**Mjg43: **I know, it wasn't very kind for me to leave you all hanging in such a manner, but hopefully this chapter will satisfy you. Don't worry, Legolas is in no way facing death, well…he is in the fellowship, so I guess he is always facing death in one way or another, but that isn't the point. In this story, Legolas will be fine in good time. I appreciate the time you took to leave me a review, so thanks!

**HelloDenmark:** um can I just say….oh my flipping god you reviewed my story! You are like my favorite author and I see you as a huge role model! Your writing is so fantastic, every time you update it makes my day! I have read _Coldness, _and I loved it, and now I am reading _Aid from a friend!_ You have no idea how big of a deal it is that you like my writing! I have really tried to model my Legolas with the perfect balance of stubbornness, strength, and also vulnerability, so to hear that it is working out is really great.

**LotR-HP-PJ: **I know, the cliffhanger kills you every time, but don't worry, I will make it up to you, I promise! I am really glad that you thought I did a good job with the battle; because personally I have always thought that my writing skills with describing torture and battle are not nearly as strong as my other writing skills. As for the hobbit…I LOVED IT! It was absolutely fantastic and you are going to really enjoy it when you see it, trust me! Hopefully I will have some extra time to type over break, but it seems like I am going to be even busier than normal! Gahh….sometimes life can be just, well just plain old sucky…but what can you do right? Anyway, thank you so much for your review!

**Spottedmask12: **Well I don't want to give anything away before you read, but Legolas is going to heal physically within this chapter, and psychologically by the end of the story, well hopefully….please enjoy this update, and I really hope that you continue to read this story.

**Pie in the Face: **I know, and sorry it took so long, but I just haven't been able to type recently. I am glad that you accept my liberties, I wouldn't want to lose you as a reader and review, because I really enjoy hearing you thought! I really just needed something to distract Legolas and cause him some more angst, cause why not? I agree with you on the hobbit, it was fantastic in my opinion with one or two hiccups here and there, but no movie can be perfect. That is really cool you live so close! And yeah I have been in Seattle for my entire life, and what can I say, my city if filthy! But I gotta love it! I am glad you are enjoying the plot, thanks for your thoughts!

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: **Poor Leggy is correct! Unfortunately things are not going to get too much better for our elf until the end. More angst and hurt/comfort is on the way so buckle in! By the way thanks for answering my questions about your pen-name. I think that it is really cool! Thank you for your review as always!

**Masked Man 2: **I am so glad that you love it! My mission is accomplished then, because that is of course my number one aim! Thank you! The angst does make it more exciting does it not? Those types of stories are always so much fun to write as well.

**Queen Sigyn:** Yay! Enjoyment is always welcomed and looked forward to be yours truly! I am really happy that this plot is going over as well, especially because I was so unsure about it in the beginning. I mean it started out as slash from a friend, and then I nixed that because I'm not really into that, and the whole mute Legolas thing is definitely far-fetched…sorry I rant. Anyway, I am glad that I was able to introduce you to something new that you hadn't ever seen before. Thanks for the support, I hope you enjoy my further updates!

**Lady Winterlight: **Yeah, I have always thought of writing this as a chance to play with the plot, while still staying within reasonable boundaries, or what I hope are reasonable boundaries. Now that doesn't mean that I don't second guess myself every time I put something like this out there, but the support from you guys is always so helpful. I plan to continue my updates on as much of a regular schedule possible, so keep an eye out!

**i-have-a-llama-army: **Don't worry, and certainly don't cry! Legolas shall recover, in fact he shall be just fine in a physical sense. All will be revealed so read and find out! I am glad that you are like the emotional moments I am putting in between Legolas and Aragorn, trust me, those thing are damn hard to write. Half the time I have to re-write them because I feel like they just develop into slimy, sticky, globs of sap! One of the many frustrations I experience with this! But it is all worth it in the end! Thank you for sticking with me, and being so kind. I was also so excited to see that I had been invited to become a staff member for your community! I feel like I have so much power, even though I really don't, it is definitely enjoyable.

**Adreandarksky: **Oh that makes me so happy to hear! Fear not my next update is here (finally) and hopefully it is up to your satisfaction. Let's just say that I am going to be very happy when this chapter is finished and posted.

**Emzieluvsbooks: **I know, it snowed in Seattle on Friday so school was canceled and I got to start my break early. God it was so nice to wake up Friday morning and see the text from my school saying that I didn't have to go in at 6:45 am! Aww, thank you so much. I have never had my writing described as absolutely fantastic, awesomely brilliant, and phenomenally written! It makes my heart sing to say the least. Don't worry about the talking to the screen thing, I do it all the time. Like today when I was watching Grey's Anatomy (it is my guilty pleasure, and I have spent the past three days overdosing on past seasons on Netflix) and one of the characters was bleeding to death in an elevator and the other two just kind of standing there watching. I am very glad I was home alone at that moment….anyway, I am so happy that you like to angle I am working from! It took me a good week or so to plan for the plot line of this, and I probably spent two or three days out of said weeks trying to figure out how I wanted to portray Legolas, and convey his thoughts. Since he can't speak it really changes the dynamic of his character, or at least I think so. I appreciate that you like my angst writing, because that is where I personally feel I have the most concentrated talent. My tragedy (my torture and death scenes are pathetic and horrific compared to the other stuff) needs some work, but I am getting there. I apologize for the cliffhanger. I debated with myself for a while about it, but I must say that I was happy with the final outcome. As for the hobbit, dude you understand me perfectly. Being a Tolkien nut and a superwholock, that movie was like my dreams on screen. There were several moments when I nearly made a fool of myself because of the sheer awesomeness. Like when Legolas gets the bloody nose and then looks absolutely pissed, that part got to me and I almost started laughing. Then to make matters worse, the next day my friend made a gif of it, where (excuse the language) during the time he is touching the blood it says, 'bitch you did not just do want I think you just did…', and then it shows his face looking like he is about to explode and it says, 'you just touched the face…you touched THE FACE!' It gets me every time, and now whenever I see that scene, that gif is all I am going to think about. Thank you again so much for your kind words!

**Everyone: **Worry not, my holiday gift to you all is another update today, and then hopefully I will get to post again by Monday, maybe Tuesday….I am not entirely sure at the moment.

**Happy Holidays!**

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The ranger mechanically lurched forward to grab the elf before he hit the unforgiving ground. It was as if his body moved on its own out of reflex, for the man himself could not remember giving the command to move afterwards. Thankfully Aragorn was fast enough to slow the elf's decent and keep him from causing any more damage to himself. Once the archer was within his arms, the ranger placed him gently on the ground, and started a frantic search for any sort of injury marring the flawless complexion of the elf. First he ran his hands over the prince's chest, checking for broken ribs or lacerations. Finding nothing that would've caused the collapse, the man continued his search over Legolas' arms and legs, only to once again find nothing. Finally Aragorn checked the elf's neck, face, and head, but ended up with the same result. Besides the superficial cuts and bruises they were all wearing, there was nothing wrong with the elf in question.

"Is he alright Mister Strider?"

The ranger turned around to look at the still teary eyed Sam. He sighed and nodded, before turning back to look at the elf.

"I think so Sam. As you know, Legolas was reluctant to go into the mines in the first place, and it took a large emotional toll on him."

The man paused and pushed a few strands of golden hair behind the elf's ear in an act of tenderness.

"Then he said something about demons from his past returning in the mines, and I think that adding on the grief of Gandalf may have tipped him over the edge. His injuries are superficial, so I believe that he may have just been so overwhelmed that he passed out. Hopefully he will be okay in an hour, maybe two. The fact that he didn't tell me he was in such a spot worries me, but that is something to discuss at a different time."

The ranger pushed his hands underneath Legolas' back, directly in-between his shoulder blades, and under the crook of the elf's knees in order to pick up the prince. Aragorn hefted Legolas safely up into his arms and stood to face the rest of the fellowship, who by now had gathered behind him. He jerked his head towards the forest behind him in a gesture for the group to continue forward.

"Come, we need to leave this place before more danger falls upon us. We head for the woods of Lothlorien, and hopefully we can reach them within two days."

The fellowship watched him—grief still clouding their eyes—for another moment before they began to follow.

Aragorn led them over the rocky cliffs with reasonable speed, while he still remained mindful of the unconscious elf in his arms. Occasionally he would check in with the rest of the fellowship behind him, and he could tell that they were sluggish, grieving, and in desperate need of a rest. However, he kept pushing them forward, and he would continue to do so until he deemed that they were a safe distance away. The ranger could also feel the other six pairs of eyes watching his back with scrutiny. He could feel the judgment they were giving him, and parts of him knew that it was well deserved, but others felt deeply hurt by it. What none of them knew is that while on the outside he looked calm and cold regarding the death they had just been faced with, on the inside he was a ticking time bomb. He was worrying about the fellowship's success, the emotional stability of those in the fellowship, the unconscious elf in his arms, how he was going to lead them, the fate of middle earth, the ring falling into Sauron's grasp, basically he was worrying about everything.

The ranger's thoughts were frantic and jumbled, but he could never let his façade drop in front of the others. They were all still too vulnerable to see their new leader crumble. So that was his mentality as he continued to push the group forward, and past their breaking points. That was until he heard a yelp from behind him. Aragorn's brow furrowed in confusion and he turned around to see Boromir kneeling in front of Sam with his hands holding up the hobbit's left foot.

Worry began to settle in the man's mind, so he quickly shuffled over to where the remainder of the fellowship was standing. He carefully set Legolas down so he was leaning against a nearby tree, and moved to take Boromir's place. Once the ranger was in front of the hobbit, he could clearly see that in his haste to push the group forward, he had remained ignorant to the fact that the gardener had impaled his foot with a shard of wood lying along the ground. Blood was streaming down the sole of Sam's foot, but from what the ranger could tell, the wound was benign.

Aragorn looked up to see that the hobbit's face was screwed up in a grimace, so he gently lowered the foot, and asked Sam to keep it raised off the ground.

"I need to stitch that Sam, but after that you should be completely fine. However, today you are no longer going to be traveling, so we should find shelter for the night."

The hobbit shook his head and tried to decline through his gasps of pain.

"Nay, we need to keep moving, we need to get to safety."

Aragorn smiled softly, with a non-genuine air about it, and without warning picked up the hobbit. Sam yelped again, this time out of shock, and gripped the ranger's tunic for support.

"I appreciate the bravery Sam, but everything will be alright if we rest."

He then gestured for Boromir to pick up the unconscious elf in his place. The larger man nodded and hefted the elf into his arms. Unfortunately, the soldier from Gondor drastically underestimated how light the archer would be. The result being, when he pulled up, the amount of force he put behind lifting upwards was too great and therefore the man accidentally jostled the elf's body severely. Legolas moaned through his state and shifted around. The group watched the prince for a moment or two to see if he would wake, but all of them sighed when instead the elf remained still and went limp in the soldiers grasp once again.

With that, the fellowship moved forward for about twenty or thirty minutes, before they found a large oak with wide spread branches. Their shade covered the ground around the base of the trunk, creating a perfect place for rest. Once they reached the tree, Sam was set down and the ranger got to work, while the others made a fire and began cooking dinner. Legolas was laid down to rest on top of his bed roll, with Merry, Pippin, and Frodo watching over him.

Finally Aragorn finished with the hobbit's foot, gave him a very small dose of pain killing herbs, and settled in beside the elf on the ground. He placed a hand on the elf's forehead just to check on his temperature, even though the man knew that Legolas wouldn't have a fever. Then, when he found the conclusion he knew he would find, Aragorn grabbed the archer's hand firmly in his own. Occasionally he rubbed the top of the pale hand with his thumb in a loving gesture. His friend had suffered too much already, he didn't need this much pain in his life.

Soon dinner had been consumed, and the group decided to settle down and sleep. There was a brief argument over who would take the first watch, but eventually Aragorn won and smiled triumphantly as one by one the others fell into the peaceful lull of sleep. Once he was sure that everyone was asleep, he began to hum quietly to himself, and the elf.

Minutes turned to hours when the ranger noticed movement to his left. He turned to see Legolas moving his facial muscles and attempting to get up. This caused him to smile a little and rub his thumbs over Legolas' temples while he began to murmur quietly.

"Creoso ad-mellon-nin. Sut naa lle umien?" (Welcome back my friend. How are you feeling?)

The elf turned his head and looked up at the man with a slightly blurry gaze. Once he realized how he was talking to, the prince smiled. _I am fine Estel. Honestly you worry way too much. _At this Aragorn chuckled lightly and moved his hands down to grab Legolas'.

"With you, there is no way for me not to worry. Why didn't you tell me you were hurting so much?"

Legolas closed his eyes as he signed. _I am sorry Estel. I just did not want to burden you. It was just too much with Gandalf, the orc from Dol Guldur, the nightmares, and the memories were just too much. Just too much…I still can't believe he is gone, Mithrandir is gone._

Aragorn sighed and wiped away the tears now falling upon Legolas' cheeks.

"You are never, and never will be a burden Legolas. I am just glad that you are okay…you are okay right? No hidden injuries this time?"

The prince smiled sadly and shook his head. _No Estel, I truly am fine. Besides, I am not the one who looks like he needs to be worried over. _Legolas raised a blonde eyebrow at the ranger. _Are you alright mellon-nin? I mean you no offense when I say this Estel, but you look positively horrible. _(my friend)

The man chuckled with a choked quality and shook his head.

"I am fine Legolas, I just need…some…..time…."

The ranger trailed off as his eyes gained a certain far off look. When the man remained silent for several moments, the prince became concerned and furrowed his brow. He then raised himself up until he was sitting with his back against the trunk of the tree. The elf grimaced slightly when his head began to protest, but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind. Legolas then looked into the face of the man and tenderly grabbed the ranger's battle worn hand, using his other to speak. _Estel, you know you can talk to me. Everything is going to be okay Estel, everything is going to be okay. _

Aragorn turned to look at his friend while he opened and closed his mouth several times, for he was at a loss of what to say. Finally he settled for closing his eyes as tears escaped him and sobs racked his body. The noise was broken and defeated, which made the elf's heart shatter. He began rubbing small circles along Aragorn's back as he squeezed the man's hand.

"I-I can't lead e-everyone Legolas! I am not Gandalf! I j-just can't do this!"

The man's tears were drowning out his words and making it hard to understand his speech, but Legolas had been around the man enough times when he was distraught to understand him perfectly. As the ranger continue to sob, the prince slowly lifted the man's chin so he was looking him directly in the eye. Legolas released the man's hand in order to sign. _Oh Estel, you do not have to be Gandalf, you just have to be you. You are a wonderful leader, and you have all of us supporting you. We trust in you Aragorn, we believe in you, I believe in you Estel. Yes, we are on the most dangerous quest ever conceived, but we are together through and through, never to leave the other's side. Do you remember that hunting trip we went on in the middle of July, the one where it got so hot we decided to abandon the trip and camp near the river for a week and a half? _

Aragorn sniffed and nodded. _And do you remember what I told you?_ Once again the man nodded and responded with a crackling voice.

"You said that you promised to always look after me and never lead me astray. You promised to always be my brother in arms, never to leave my side. How could I forget, you pushed me in the lake five minutes later."

The man finished with a rueful smile which made the elf smirk and nod. _Indeed I did, but that isn't the point. What I said to you that day I meant with all my heart, and I intend to keep that promise until the end of my days, and this moment, right here and now, is certainly no exception. _Finally Aragorn's shaking and tears subsided and he wrapped the archer in a hug.

"Hannon lle gwador-cormamin. Manke Irma amin nauva yassen-ten lle?" (Thank you my brother of heart*. Where would I be without you?)

_Walking around in circles Estel. _The elf replied with a grin before his expression become sober once more. _I am glad that I was able to comfort someone else for a change. Sometimes I feel like an unstable maiden with my constant need for comforting from others. _

The elf held a rueful expression on his face which the man sighed heavily at.

"You need to stop thinking of yourself so Legolas. You have had a past that most people would not have been able to survive, yet you are here, alive and well. Do not forsake that."

Legolas nodded and moved so the ranger could lean against his side. _I know Estel. Now try and get some sleep. You are exhausted, and we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow. _As if to prove the elf's point, Aragorn yawned and slumped against the elf's shoulder. His eyes fluttering closed. As sleep finally overcame him, the ranger murmured a few words to the prince.

"Yeah, yeah…quell undome Legolas…hannon lle au." (Goodnight Legolas…thank you again.)

The prince slung an arm around the ranger's shoulder, happy that his friend could finally get some time to put his mind at ease. However, the elf couldn't help the bout of jealousy that came upon him at the sight, for he longed for nothing more than to be able to rid himself of the nightmares and horrors which had been re-awakened in the mines.

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**Oh my goodness…that chapter was really hard to type for some reason. It took me about twelve hours—spread over two days—to finish. I hope you all enjoyed, please review!**

***The term 'my brother of heart' was apparently a commonly used term among elves for beings they considered kin, without any blood relation. I learned something new today, very exciting.**


	11. Chapter 11: Something Got Your Tongue?

**My apologies dear readers! With the holiday swing in full force my time for updates went down the drain. I also wasn't particularly happy with the last chapter. I mean I was intending it to be more of a transition/filler chapter, but after reading through it, I really wasn't that proud of what I put out there. To make up for it, I promise that this chapter shall be rather entertaining! I hope you all had a great time with Christmas, Chinese food and a movie (the best Jewish tradition in my mind), or whatever other holiday traditions you partake in! P.S. there is one section in this chapter where Legolas has a brief conversation with the trees, and their speech is in italics. I will make it clear who is speaking, but I just wanted to say something in case you guys get confused, seeing as italics normally apply to Legolas. And can I just say that I just checked my traffic stats and found that I have had 13,455 views to my stories! OH MY FLIPPING GOD YOU GUYS! You have no idea how huge this is for me!**

**HelloDenmark: **I am the one who is flattered! I mean you like my story! *jumps up and down in joy before spinning in circles* I don't just like Coldness and Aid from a friend, I love them! They are probably my most favorite stories I have read (besides the actual books) concerning Middle Earth. I do plan on continuing this story. I am actually getting more and more into it as the plot progresses. *fan girl squeal* my role model thinks my story is interesting! Sorry, this is exceedingly exciting for me, in case you couldn't tell already!

**Cottoncandybeefalo:** Yep, I decided the chapter eight was enough torture for you guys. And again I am really sorry for the wait, sometimes typing has got to just take a sideline to other things. Yeah I share your feelings about the chapter, but thank you about the compliment with the ending. I really tried to make the speeches as cheese-less as possible, but apparently it didn't quite work out. Yeah, it was really cool, because in the past I had just been calling them brothers, but now I have something else to use, very exciting! Of course I reply, I didn't used to, and I am finding that I am actually really enjoying the whole correspondence thing back and forth. It also helps with improving my story, because I can get more in-depth criticism!

**Emzieluvsbooks: **I feel really stupid, because I just figured out what your pen-name actually means…wow I really need to be more observant sometimes. Anyways, back to your review. I know right! I saw the movie again and when that scene came on, I was trying so hard not to laugh, especially since the theater was like dead silent. I basically had my face buried in my hands and the people behind me thought that I was like suffocating or something, because my breathing was coming out in like short little gasps. Afterwards they were looking at me very worriedly…so I know how you feel. Yes it is always good when people survive, although sometimes character deaths do make interesting stories. I am glad that Aragorn's human side showed through without making him seem annoying. I really wanted to show that side where Legolas isn't just the damsel in distress so to speak, especially since this story often revolves around that. Now that you say something, I did feel like maybe I moved through the mines a little too quickly, but now this just means that I can continue the plot and stretch it over more of the fellowship's journey. Now I don't want to give too much away, but I will just say that you are in the range of being warm with your predictions….

**Pie in the Face: **I am glad that you enjoyed the present I could give you. Actually I am pretty sure that it was Dominic who had the splinter, because the injury I was thinking about was when Sean went running after Elijah at the end of The Fellowship, and ended up getting a huge piece of glass through his foot, but I could be wrong, and that is not important right now. I am glad that my choices as an author meet your criteria! Also being compared to Peter Jackson, that makes me so happy! Please enjoy!

**LotR-HP-PJ: **I know, I needed to throw in some good old fluffiness for the sake of lightening up the story a little. Things were getting kinda heavy with no relief so this was more of a pallet refresher. No cliffhanger is right! I still felt bad for what I did with chapter 9 so I decided you guys needed a break from stressing over cliffhangers. I hope you had a merry Christmas as well!

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: **Well it couldn't be Legolas pain all the time, I mean sharing is caring right? I agree, sometimes even the toughest guys need to let out their feelings, and who is better qualified to offer some comfort than our dear archer? Please enjoy this update!

**Masked Man 2:** Thanks! Being described as awesome is definitely very nice! I am glad that you like my writing!

**DragonElf: **Oh I am so happy you are enjoying yourself! Bringing happiness is my main goal, so it is good to know that I can accomplish that!

**Please enjoy guys!**

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The calloused fingers of the elven archer ran absent-mindedly through the dark curls of the ranger as the man slept on. Aragorn had shifted during his sleep and now rested more within the elf's lap than not. His head was pillowed in the crook of the prince's neck, and while the position was rather uncomfortable for Legolas, he was loath to wake the man when his face looked so peaceful. These moments—when Aragorn's worry and age fled from his face, making him look like the care-free child Legolas met so many years ago—were rare nowadays, so the prince let them last for as long as possible.

Small movement at the prince's left alerted him to the mound of hobbits curled around each other. He smiled as he saw that subconsciously the hobbits had wrapped their arms around Frodo in a protective and comforting manner. However, Legolas' joy fled when he remembered why the young hobbit was in need of such comfort.

Gandalf was dead.

The elf slowly closed his eyes in sadness, for he felt that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to hide the tears forming along the rims of his eyes. It took several moments, but once again the elf regained control over his emotions and returned his full attention to the duty at hand: guarding the fellowship from any possible threat.

His icy blue-grey eyes scanned the surrounding forest with scrutiny. He knew that these woods were reasonably safe, but if the past few years of his life had taught him anything, it would be that the unexpected can occur even in seemingly safe situations.

Legolas' thoughts were interrupted by the mumbles of the ranger. He looked down and a frown made its way onto the elf's face when he saw that the man had furrowed his brow and looked rather unhappy. The prince continued to listen and watch as the man's seeming nightmare became clearer.

"Leave them….don't hurt my friends you beast…..we already lost Gandalf, I won't lose the others too…..not him…please not him…..he has already suffered at your hands…."

The prince became plagued by a grim curiosity at who Aragorn was talking about. His eyes widened as the man continued.

"You took his voice…..don't take more…..don't hurt him anymore…..stop…..can't you see you're hurting him….you monster….it will be alright mellon-nin….I will heal you….don't leave me Legolas…you can't leave me…." (my friend)

Legolas felt the man's words tug upon his heart-strings. As Aragorn became more agitated, the elf wished that he could call out to his friend, give him some comfort that it was only a nightmare, but he couldn't. All he could do was place his hands along the side of Aragorn's face and press his forehead to the ranger's. As the elf waited, he felt the man's mutterings quiet, and his face even out.

Once the man was silent again, the elf carefully moved him out of his lap and lay Aragorn down next to him, pillowing the man's head with his cloak. Legolas then stood and stretched lazily and his shoulders and back popped quietly. Feeling restless the elf gave the tree—the group was crowded around—a quick look over, before taking a bounding leap and grabbing the closest branch with little difficulty. He then proceeded to climb farther up the tree until he was perched upon a branch mere feet from the top. From his place within the tree, Legolas was still very much aware of what was going on in the immediate area, but he could also see farther into the vast forest before him.

Being around the ancient trees brought the silent elf some peace as he listened to their whispers, which only he could hear.

_You are in pain, my dear prince. What troubles you so?_

The elf turned to face the trunk and placed a hand against the wood. Through the temporary link, he was able to communicate with ease.

_I have lost much in recent years. First many of my kin and three years of my life, then my pride and my voice, and now I have lost a companion who I considered a parental figure and a close friend. I also have no idea whether I am going to survive this quest, or if it will fail before we even reach our destination. Yet it is not death I fear, it is never being able to see the ones I love, leaving them without being able to say goodbye, or watching my friends die around me as well. I do not know if I will be able to handle that much more grief, my heart is already filled with far too much. _

Legolas could feel the tree buzzing with life beneath his fingertips as it contemplated his answer.

_Young one, you have suffered more than most your age, and while it has given you a burden to carry and scars to bear on your skin and heart, it has also made you much stronger, I can sense it within you. As for your worries, I would consider you arrogant and a fool not to feel uncertainty about your journey at hand, and the selfless nature of them shows that you are wise beyond your years, and that your heart is undeniably kind. As for your grief, it clouds the mind and the soul with sadness, which prohibits us from seeing the good things in life. I can see that what you speak is true, your heart is indeed riddled with pain, but that does not have to be permanent. Use this time to quell your sadness, allow yourself to heal._

The elf opened his eyes—which he hadn't noticed he had closed—and moved so his back was once again resting against the tree, breaking the connection. However, the elf responded anyway.

_I wish that it was as easy as you say, wise one, but it seems like every time I try to follow your advice and heal, I am stopped by memories plaguing me. Yet I thank you my friend. You have allowed me to find peace in a turbulent time._

Legolas continued to sit and watch the world before him, mulling over the conversation with the ancient spirit. The wise words he had been confronted with brought forth a memory from many years ago. It was after he had been in bondage for close to two and a half years, and his hope was leaving him. Yet it was not himself he was thinking of, it was the elves he had left behind in Mirkwood.

* * *

_**The smell of burned flesh, spilt blood, and rotten rations filled the stone cell. It was a putrid aroma, yet it had become normal for the lone elf—who was strung up by his wrists from shackles attached to the ceiling—and it rarely bothered him anymore. It was an insignificant displeasure considering the living hell his life had become.**_

_**The prince of Mirkwood hadn't seen natural light since the first day he had been brought here, and it had turned his skin completely colorless. He looked more like a corpse than an elf with his anorexic body added into the mix. Legolas Thranduilion doubted that he would survive much longer, yet his body had surprised him so far by lasting two years in such a hell hole. **_

_**With nothing better to do, the elf began making guesses as to what his cause of death would be (natural or orc related?) and when it would arrive. This morbid game was really one of the only things he could do to keep himself sane and entertained, because besides the beatings, his captors left him alone. His current atmosphere didn't help improve his thoughts either. **_

_**As the elf continued to ponder his ultimate end, his thoughts moved to the people he would leaving behind. He would have sighed, but his throat still felt as if it were on fire from the most recent concoction the orcs had forced down his throat. It had felt as if it was burning straight through his skin and muscle as it trickled down into his stomach.* **_

_**His worries settled mostly upon his father. The Elven-king had already lost his wife, and Legolas' mother, to the orcs of Dol Guldur during a surprise attack on the royal family during a picnic. Of course the royal guard had been there should something of that sort happen, but the group of nine soldiers were no match for the orcs' number of forty-five. **_

_**The prince had been reasonably young at the time, merely three-hundred years old, and his mother gave up her life protecting the child, for Thranduil had been off fighting. Thankfully the queen's death had been quick, for the knife imbedded in her chest didn't allow her heart much argument on whether or not it would continue pumping blood. However, no matter how merciful her death was, it didn't make her loss any less devastating for her son and husband.**_

_**Legolas felt tears prick his eyes as he remembered his father's broken pleas for his beloved to return as he clutched at her bloodied body. Thranduil had lost a piece of himself that day and he never was the same. A permanent shine of sadness took up residence in the deep blue eyes of the king, forever mourning his lost love. **_

_**Now of course he still ruled his kingdom exceptionally well, and cared for his son like any loving father should, but despite his best effort, little Legolas began spending more and more time on his own as he grew. There simply isn't enough time to dedicate oneself to being a father and a king. In the long run it made the elfling more independent and ingenious, but it also hurt the young one greatly. **_

_**The prince didn't know if his father could handle another death within the family. For all he knew, his father could have already faded from grief if he believed that his son was dead. That thought was too much for the son of Thranduil, for the tears, which had been barely suppressed, now flowed freely down the cheeks of the elf. **_

_**He knew that he was going to die, there was no other option for the prince of Mirkwood. He had been here for multiple years, his people probably believed him dead, and even if not, they wouldn't be able to get into Dol Guldur in any circumstance. But his father? Legolas couldn't imagine his father leaving this earth, it wasn't his time.**_

_**Legolas' thoughts were interrupted as the door to his cells swung open. The elf dropped his chin to rest upon his chest in defeat. He knew what that sound meant: the orcs were coming for his daily beating. Long ago they had broken him. He no longer resisted screaming in pain, or releasing tears in their presence, but he would never beg them, and he would never betray any information about Mirkwood.**_

"_**Have we woken you elf?"**_

_**The prince rose his head to look at the group of six orcs standing in the doorway. He watched as the one who had spoken walked into the small chamber. The beast stood before him and harshly reached out to grab the elf's chin. The orc chuckled before delivering a harsh punch to Legolas' left cheek, causing the elf's blood to pour down the corner of his mouth.**_

"_**Oh yeah, I forgot, you can't answer me can you?"**_

_**The orc roughly pushed the prince's bared chest, which made the elf swing back and forth, for his toes were held just high enough off the ground that all his weight on his shoulders. The joints had already separated many days before, so the pain the movement caused was excruciating. The prince's jaw dropped as he prepared to scream, yet he became confused when he found that he couldn't make a sound. Legolas' eyes widened as he looked to the orc, who merely smirked.**_

"_**What's wrong elf? Something got your tongue?"**_

_**The group laughed cruelly at the first-born's suffering, before the leader provided some explanation to the prince's stricken expression.**_

"_**Here, I am giving you freedom to say whatever you want to me, anything you want."**_

_**Once again the elf opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come forth. The orcs watched him struggle for about a minute before they gave up.**_

"_**I am disappointed in you elf, oh well. Now you see, we figured you weren't going to tell us anything, so we decided that if you wouldn't speak to us, you weren't going to speak at all. Also, now we don't have to worry about keeping you alive, so we get to use you as are new pet."**_

_**Legolas felt more tears leak from beneath his ivory eyelids as his captors advanced on him.**_

* * *

The elf jerked forward as his reverie ended. He found that his breathing was heavy, a thin sheen of sweat covered his brow, and tears lay on his cheeks. Legolas placed one hand over his rapidly beating heart, while he brought the other up to run over his face. Afterwards he swallowed thickly and stood, deciding that he should probably return to his perch on the ground. However, Legolas' legs were shaky, much like his hands, so during the elf's decent, he suffered a misplacement of his hand, and before he knew it, Legolas was plummeting towards the ground.

Desperation took over the elf's mind as he tried to reach out for anything to stop his momentum. He knew that a fall from this height would mean death, even for an elf. As his body continued downwards, he slammed into several branches, causing them to snap, as well as when he reached out to grab some of the thinner branches. Finally Legolas managed to get a good grip on a sturdy branch and his body jerked as the elf stopped his fall.

The prince winced as pain flared up in his shoulders—eerily reminiscent of what he suffered in the memory he just relived—but he soon realized that it wasn't anything major like a dislocation, but merely his joints reacting to the strain. In fact, the pain was already beginning to dull as the elf tried to collect himself. Legolas' entire body was shaking by now, and his breathing was dangerously erratic.

Ever so slowly, the panic dissipated, and the elf found himself able to move once again. He took a cautious step forward to test his balance, and when he found himself reasonably steady, Legolas continued forward to the tree's trunk in order to apologize. He placed his palm flat against the bark and sought out the tree's spirit.

_Please accept my apology, my friend. I truly meant no harm to you. My fall was my own fault, and I am so sorry that the result was many of your branches being broken. _

The tree hummed in response to the elf's apology.

_I forgive you, young one. I know that you meant no harm. It is strange however, for I have never had one of the Ilúvatar's children lose their balance within my branches before. My worry for you has grown since I last talked to you._

The elf pulled away with a frown before very carefully climbing the rest of the way down. It took him longer than normal due to his cautious nature, and by the time he reached the soft and grassy earth, the pale light of dawn was stretching over the hills.

* * *

_**Please review guys! I really hope that this one made up for my chapter last week! I know that it wasn't super action packed, but hopefully it was still enjoyable!**_

_***yes, the concoction I mentioned is what eventually stole Legolas' voice. I just wanted to clarify a little, but more detail on this matter won't be revealed until later chapters….**_


	12. Chapter 12: Old Friends

**Alright, so for the New Year I have decided that I am going to try and make my updates more frequent and on a more normal schedule. New Year's resolutions right? Anyway, I am really happy that this story has been getting such great buzz. I officially broke my record for most reviews to a story (because LotR-JP-PJ submitted the 90****th**** review for this story) and it is extremely exciting. I have also hit an all-time record for views for my stories! I really want to thank you all, because it is your continued support and kind reviews that have brought me to this point, so thank you all for such a fantastic year, and I hope that 2014 will be just as fantastic! Oh and again I apologize, because for some reason only about half of the guest reviews I get are showing up under my story….so if I don't respond, I am sorry, but thank you for your support! **

**Bold italics are Legolas' thoughts!**

**Cotoncandybeefalo: **The suffering of elves is always saddening because they are so perfect, but as I have said before, it must be done and it certainly gets our heart-rates up! Yeah, I have always thought that Aragorn would have the "mother hen" streak in him after going through so many losses in his life. I thought that since this did actually start as a slash fic (which I don't particularly fancy myself, but the friend who had the idea was really upset that she wasn't getting another dose of Aragorn/Legolas) I might as well appease everyone by keeping them brotherly, but cuddly-brotherly. Yes the mystery is coming up to the surface! Excitement is on the way my friend!

**Pie in the Face: **Trust me, I have had some strange mix-ups in my own time as a fan. It happens to even the greatest of super-fans every once and a while. As for sleep deprivation and the wacky things it does to the mind….two words: finals week. I know, the internet does have a certain lure that sleep hasn't quite picked up on yet…and I am sorry to disappoint, but glimpses are all y'all gonna get until the end…sorry, but I can't give it all away!

**Dmetri Brandais: **Hello to you as well, and thank you! As for the apology, I have always been told that I am my own worst critic, and I probably forever will be. I tend to set standards, and sometimes I don't quite reach them which is rather upsetting to me personally…but thank you, your words are always reassuring, even if sometimes they don't quite make it through the my over-critical brain. I am glad that you are enjoying yourself though!

**Allie Danger: **I am glad that you are intrigued! Sometimes it can be so hard to get people interested to the point where they continue to read. I shall continue to write and hopefully you continue to follow.

**Teapot of transformation:** Yay! Love is always a word I like to hear when it comes to my writing! That actually was the original idea, but eventually it developed into the psychological part being why he wouldn't speak about it, while a physical agent was the reason as to why he couldn't speak. So yes it is the fault of the orcs concoction, which will be shown in more detail later on.

**CrazyPandaHobbit:** They are coming, I promise you won't be disappointed my friend! Thank you so much! It was an iffy idea at first but now I am so glad that I decided to take a risk with it, because the reaction to it has been overwhelmingly positive! I take that compliment very personally, because I have never been very confident in my writing skills, you know in school and stuff, but I think that writing here and getting your feedback has really helped me, because I have noticed that my grades on essays have risen significantly!

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: **Fortunately, we will never know whether or not his body would have given out on him, or whether the orc would've become too careless, because thankfully our favorite archer was rescued! Yeah, I know what you mean….sometimes I feel bad for the stuff I put him through, but what you gonna do?

**LotR-HP-PJ: **Good! I am glad that you enjoyed it! And yes, no cliffhanger. I couldn't torture you guys again….yes the suspense is building…

**DragonElf: **Well, from what I gather about elves, their balance and skills can be affected when an elf is severely injured, possibly sick from said injury, or extremely shaken. I was kind of playing of the idea that Legolas was unexpectedly pushed into trauma after his flashback, and was therefore not completely sturdy on his feet, or in his mind. Hence the hint in which I said that his hands and legs were quaking dangerously, to the point where he couldn't focus on the task at hand. I didn't really intend for him to fall when he was just standing on a branch, but more along the lines of when he was actually climbing down. Hope that answers your question.

**Damian: **Of course there will be more! I plan on continuing this one for a while, so hang in there. Yeah, I wanted to try and do something different, because I noticed that my "hurt Legolas" fics have started to fall into the cliché group of fanfiction, not that those are all bad. There are some absolutely fantastic pieces out there that follow a somewhat cliché mold. Well, if you are on the edge of your seat now, just you wait, it is going to get even more exciting as the story progresses.

**Please enjoy guys!**

* * *

The pale fingers of dawn rose up over the horizon and pulled the surrounding area into their grasp. The rose-tinted morning chased away shadows and sprinkled dots of light onto the peaceful faces of the sleeping fellowship. When none of the beings responded to the gentle wakeup call—with the exception of the elven prince, who hadn't been able to fall asleep after his dip into old memories—mother nature decided to wake the birds as well to call out and disturb their slumber. However, despite their best efforts, the woodland creatures could barely rouse the sleep deprived travelers. The past day and a half had been so strenuous and rest had been limited, so the group was positively exhausted, despite the fact that they had just slept for over twelve hours straight.

Seeing the predicament of the nature around him, Legolas smiled softly and rose from his seat beside Aragorn, which he had once again taken up after his disaster in the tree. He placed a gentle hand upon the ranger's shoulder and shook him lightly. Once he was sure that the man was awake, which was signified by a rather unhappy grumble, the elf rolled his eyes and moved over to wake the others as well. After several other not so pleasant responses, namely from the dwarf within the group, the rest of the fellowship was awake and packing for their continuing journey.

The elf and the ranger were the first to be ready to leave, for the elf hadn't unpacked anything, and neither had the man. So Aragorn used that moment to approach Legolas, who was standing off to the side watching the others finish with their own things. The ranger greeted his friend with a smile, but the elf saw through it and down to the man's true intentions almost immediately. With a roll of his eyes, Legolas tried to walk past the man. _Not now Estel. I am not particularly in the mood to spill my soul to you right now. Besides we don't really have time, for we need to reach the safety of the Golden Wood as soon as possible._

Aragorn nodded in agreement, but before the elf could slip away, he grabbed the prince by the arm and pulled him back to the original position Legolas was in. The man spoke lowly in elvish in order to hide from the prying ears of their traveling companions.

"Amin weera yassen lle, Lothlórien thang na-minna sui hortha-sui anira. Taus pent lye ú auta tenna i îdh naa desiel, mani ona ammen anann a ped. Amin aú thang lle anta ulua lle faer, sut lle ume vesta a kwentra enni mani marte e-i sabar. (I agree with you, Lothlorien needs to be reached as quickly as possible. That said we cannot leave until the others are ready, which gives us time to speak. I don't need you to spill your soul, but you did promise to tell me what happened in the mines.)

The man moved so that he was standing before the elf, moving his hands to firmly grasp Legolas' shoulders. He waited until the prince was looking at him directly in the eye before continuing.

"Amin dela ten lle mellon-nin." (I worry about you my friend)

After several seconds of contemplative silence, the elf nodded and gestured for the ranger to sit beside him on the grass. The two settled in and Legolas began to sign while he watched the others get closer and closer to finishing. _At one point when we were fighting in the mines, I found myself pinned to the ground by one of the orcs. It took me a moment, but I recognized him as one of my captors, and he recognized me as well. He was one of the worst. He and his leader rejoiced in hearing me scream, and it was they who took my speech from me in the end. _The prince paused to glance at the ranger's reaction. Aragorn had a small frown plastered on his face, and his eyes were searching those of the archer intensely. _He began taunting me, and I was already in a state due to the fact that we were in the mines, so I lost myself for a moment or two and ended up killing the beast. However, I couldn't tear myself away from the body, even after you called. That was what made me freeze up Estel._

Aragorn nodded slowly as his face evened out.

"I am sorry Legolas, but I am glad that you were able to jostle yourself out of your thoughts long enough to slay the troll and keep yourself alive. I would also like to add that your mischief with the troll was pretty fantastic, even though I was watching with bated breath, for I thought that you were going to kill yourself then and there."

The archer smirked and raised an eyebrow. _Have you so little faith in me ranger? I am hurt Estel. _Legolas accentuated the remark by crossing his arms over his chest, shutting his eyes, and turning his nose up in disgust, which the man promptly responded to with a roll of his eyes and a cuff to his friend's shoulder.

"Will you ever forgive me, my dearest and most flawless friend?"

Legolas popped open one eye and studied the ranger before, in one quick motion, pinned the ranger to the ground by straddling Aragorn's hips, and pinned down the man's wrists with one of his hands. The elf flashed the surprised, and now peeved, man a dashing smile and used his free hand to sign. _I think that I may be able to overlook this lack of judgment on your part. What say you, do you yield?_

The man narrowed his eyes and grumbled lowly in embarrassment.

"Amin lava." (I yield)

"Hey you two, are you planning on joining us?"

Both parties turned to find the rest of the fellowship watching them with quirked eyebrows.

Aragorn flushed a little before jumping up, after the elf climbed off of him. The man dusted off his clothes and cleared his throat as he walked to the front of the group.

"Yes, sorry about that…we continue on until we reach Lothlorien, which should be soon."

The other nodded and followed after the man, as he made his way deeper into the forest.

* * *

"Stay close, young hobbits…they say a Sorceress lives in these woods."

Gimli whispered back to the four hobbits walking behind him in line. The halflings all had looks of utter horror pass over their faces as the dwarf continued.

"An elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell..."

Legolas felt his anger begin to bubble as Gimli blatantly insulted the Lady Galadriel directly in front of him. The elf tightened his fists at his sides, but quelled his anger after coming to the conclusion that while he desperately wanted to, beating the dwarf into the ground wouldn't aid in the fellowship's objective.

To distract himself from the rambling dwarf, the elf cast his gaze upon the stunning trees around him. They seemed to stretch into the skies for an infinite length, their leafy tops barely visible against the bright blue sky. As he continued to sight-see, Legolas felt memories wash over him, but for once they were of the happy and joyful kind.

He began to think about the last time he was within Lorien's borders. It had been a great deal of time ago—close to a century in fact—but he could still remember the utter euphoria he had experienced within these woods. The highlights being the endless conversations with the wise trees, going swimming and goofing around with Haldir the marchwarden and his brothers, Rumli and Orophin, the celebrations where he had danced until he literally collapsed, and the beautiful music which he eagerly engaged in. This was when the elf felt a pang or regret hit him. Never would he be able to sing in the Golden Wood again, never would he laugh with his friends….Legolas' eyes widened as a thought came to him.

The elves within Lothlorien had no idea that he had been held captive in Dol Guldur, and therefore they were oblivious to the fact that he could no longer speak. The elf felt a part of him "die" as he realized that this meant he was going to have to explain it all over again_**. This is just wonderful.**_

Legolas had been so distracted by his reverie that he had missed the presence of someone approaching, until the group was almost upon them.

Out of instinct he drew his bow, only to find an arrow pointed at his nose by another fair-haired elf. Legolas offered a barely conceivable and polite smile to the being, who he had his own arrow pointed at, which grew slightly as the elf from Lothlorien returned the gesture.

"A dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark."

The familiar voice caught the elven prince's attention. He turned his gaze to find Haldir, marchwarden of Lothlorien, standing before him talking with Aragorn.

Mirkwood's prince briefly caught Haldir's eye as the marchwarden finished up his conversation with the ranger. He then gave a short command to his soldiers to lead the fellowship towards the heart of the Golden Wood. The group started forward and Legolas' heart began to race when he noticed that Haldir was purposely lagging behind to speak with him. Soon the marchwarden was beside him, and flashing him a large smile.

"Mae Govannan mellon-nin. It has been so long since you last came to visit. I have missed your company, as have Rumli and Orophin." (well met my friend)

Legolas forced a smile and nodded before turning his gaze forward. Out of the corner of his eye, the archer could see the look of hurt and confusion pass over Haldir's face. _**Great, now he thinks that I am ignoring him. Ai what am I supposed to do? Now really isn't a good time to say "Hey so, I can't talk anymore, and I communicate with this complicated new language that I made up a few years ago. Why can't I speak? Well I was kind of tortured for three years by a bunch of orcs in the dungeons of Dol Guldur, you know same old same old." **_Thought Legolas dryly.

The prince stopped walking, and pulled the marchwarden aside for a moment. The other Lorien soldiers looked at them with confusion, but Haldir merely waved them off and turned to look at Legolas.

"What is it mellon-nin?" (my friend)

The elf glanced pleadingly at the sky above him as he tapped his foot nervously on the ground. The marchwarden watched the behavior with curiosity, for last time he saw the prince it was almost impossible to stop him from talking, joking, and laughing, not that he minded. Finally Legolas settled on the best option available. He pointed to himself, then his mouth, and finally shook his head. He repeated the gesture when Haldir shot him a look which said "has the prince lost his mind?" After several more repetitions, the marchwarden decided that it would probably be best if he worked through it out loud.

"You don't want to speak with me?"

The prince shook his head furiously, and gestured for the elf to continue thinking.

"You…you can't speak with me?"

Legolas smiled sadly and nodded. The marchwarden looked incredulously at the prince and sputtered a little.

"W-Why not? Have I done something wrong? Have I upset you?"

Once again the elf shook his head and this time mouthed out what he needed to say.

_Later, I will tell you everything later._

The marchwarden looked at him for him for a moment, before responding.

"You promise that it isn't that you are upset, I don't want to lose you as a friend."

Legolas shook his head, mouthed "later" again, shot Haldir an apologetic smile, and ran to catch up with the fellowship, who were a good distance away by now.

* * *

The prince could feel Haldir's eyes on his back for the rest of the walk, and it unsettled him deeply. In the past hour since their brief "chat", Legolas had been racking his brain over the best way to explain his predicament. The elf felt like the direct approach would end with pity, but at the same time, if he was vague, then the result would be more questions. Either end was less than desirable, but there wasn't much else he could do.

Finally the journey came to an end, and after a brief argument between the marchwarden and the ranger, the fellowship was brought to stand before the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. However, before the group was brought to the high elves for judgment, they were allowed a brief respite. The group was left to lounge among the various benches and chairs in the area, and Haldir took the opportunity to once again corner the prince. He stood before Legolas and spoke.

"Nae naa ab-mellon-nin." (It is later my friend)

The prince nodded and rose from his perch, dragging the ranger with him as he moved into a more secluded area. Haldir followed and watched with confusion as the ranger protested, and Legolas seemed to quiet him with gestures. Soon Legolas deemed they were far enough away, and he pointed to a bench in front of him for the marchwarden to sit upon. Haldir silently obeyed, and waited patiently for the other elf to explain himself.

Legolas smiled reassuringly at him, before tapping the man on the shoulder. When the ranger got the message, his eyes widened and he looked to Legolas in shock.

"He doesn't know, does he?"

The prince shook his head. _None of the Lorien elves know anything. The last time I was here was over a century ago, and they weren't involved in the "search and rescue". _Aragorn nodded in response and turned to a very confused looking Haldir.

"Alright then. Now what happens next is going to be confusing at first, but simply think of my words as Legolas'."

The marchwarden looked skeptical but nodded none the less.

Legolas looked to the man, and once they made eye contact, Aragorn began to speak through the elf's gestures.

"You see my friend, much has happened since the last time I visited your home. It is somewhat hard to say, but you need to know, so I shall tell you. However, I ask of you one thing. Please sit and listen until I am finished. It will be easier to answer questions afterwards. Now where to begin."

The archer paused and took a breath before continuing.

"About eight decades ago, I found myself in a bit of trouble when I was captured by a group of orcs from Dol Guldur while I was out on patrol. I was knocked unconscious, and when I awoke, I was chained in their dungeons. Long story short, I was held there for three-almost four years, and during that time they tried to use me for information. They knew I was the prince, and therefore held valuable information concerning the Woodland Realm, and its weaknesses. When they realized I wasn't going to give them anything, they gave me something, I still don't know what it was, no one does, but they forced it down my throat. The consequences being the loss of my speech. I tried, I tried for years to find my voice, but no matter what I did, I found that I was unable to speak. I quickly fell into a depression because of all that had been stolen from me, but once I hit my worst, I was able to work my way back up. I created the language you see me using now. Each gesture is either a word in itself, or a letter to spell something out. As you see, Estel has become fluent in it along with my father and soldiers, while many others are learning. So you see, I truly meant you no harm when I did not speak to you earlier, I merely can't. I hope that you don't see this as a reason to end the comradery we had, but I would understand if you do. Many have seen this new element to my life as too much of a challenge."

The ranger finished with the elf, and gave him a sad smile. He knew that many of the elves Legolas considered friends before his captivity abandoned him when they decided dedicating time to learning his new ways wasn't worth it. The extra loss had hurt the elf deeply in a time when he was already extremely fragile.

When the marchwarden stood, after many moments of silence, Aragorn stepped back and allowed him to approach Legolas. Haldir continued forward until he was mere inches away from the other blonde. He intently studied Legolas' face, and it only took seconds for the blonde to move his gaze to the ground, already preparing for rejection. However, that is not quite what happened.

After another minute, the marchwarden lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the younger elf. Legolas' eyes widened in shock as he processed how Haldir had reacted. He slowly returned the hug and pulled the elder closer to him.

"My dear Legolas, never would I dessert a friend over something such as this. I am so sorry that this came upon you. Why did you not contact us earlier, we are your friends?"

The prince simply shook his head, which was now resting upon the marchwarden's shoulder, in response. Slowly, the two elves separated and Haldir sent Legolas a warm smile.

"It is alright mellon-nin. Forever will you hold my friendship, and I feel that the others within Lothlorien will feel similarly. Now I know that this is much to ask of you, but I would be honored if you taught me some of your new language. It would be nice to be able to communicate directly with you, and not through someone else, no offence Estel." (my friend)

The marchwarden shot a brief look over at the ranger and dipped his head. The man responded by holding his hands up in a mock defensive gesture.

"Do not worry over it, Haldir."

The two smiled at each other before Haldir turned back to the other elf, who was nodding in response. However, the reunion was cut short when one of Haldir's soldiers came up to the three and bowed.

"Haldir, the Lord and Lady are ready to meet with our guests."

* * *

**Please review guys! Happy New Year!**


	13. Chapter 13: The Words That Heal

**I want to thank you all for your reviews. They are always so nice to read and they give me that extra little boost of inspiration to write. It is so wonderful to know that even though you are all complete strangers to me, you give me advice and help boost my confidence about some things that I am rather insecure about….alright, I need to stop before I melt into a large puddle of sap…Anyway, I am moving full speed ahead with updates at a rather alarming rate. I think that this is the most chapter I have ever typed in such a short amount of time. This story is quickly becoming my favorite out of all the others I have typed! Oh and can I just say….we've hit 100 reviews! *jumps for joy* oh my goodness you guys, this has never happened before….I don't really know how to handle it.**

**And now to confuse you just a little. In this chapter, the italics before the second line break are Galadriel speaking inside Legolas'/the fellowships' minds. I hope that doesn't screw your reading up too much. The ones afterwards are Legolas writing. I think that I explained that pretty well, I just wanted to clarify.**

**OH! I FORGOT! I was contacted by someone, saying that I was in the race for a competition, but to stay in the running, I need to update twice a week! So, I don't want to lose, and that mean y'all are going to get more frequent updates!**

**CrazyPandaHobbit:** Thank you my friend. I know that having confidence in yourself is a big part of being successful in anything you do, but out of everything that I do in my life, my writing has always been a soft spot. Anyway, your encouragement really does help, and I am glad that you enjoy my work. Of course I liked you review! I love all the reviews I get, even if they aren't always great. They help me grow as an author, and they help improve my daily mood significantly. My heart rate always picks up when I check my email and the little notification for a review shows up. I will forever love receiving your thoughts.

**HelloDenmark: **Thank you! Yeah, you gotten have at least some feels creep up on your heart when he explains himself. I would never have Haldir abandon him, I hold the marchwarden in high regard (which is why I felt somewhat sick after I wrote mending what is broken, but he was the villain in that little plot bunny, so what you going to do?) You will have to wait no longer for my update, it is here to save you! Well, the hardest part about it is when I forget that he can't speak. That has happened several times where I have been writing and then I realize that I just made my mute character speak, or had him sign to someone who I haven't listed as fluent in the language. Then I have to throw someone like Aragorn in to save the day, so if it seems like Aragorn is just kind of there all the sudden that would be why. Now…can I just quickly say that Aid from a friend has me on the edge of my seat, quite literally! Like sometimes I get so excited while reading that I find it exceedingly difficult to stay seated! It is just getting so exciting, and I apologize because I think that I forgot to review your most recent chapter.

**LotR-HP-PJ: **I mean of course they are! I just had to put a little sarcastic remark about how absolutely fantastic the elves truly are. Ha! Hopefully not! I don't want to be the one responsible for you needing to buy new technologic equipment! I do however know how that feels. I have experienced the same thing many times within my life, and anyone who says they haven't is most likely lying….I am so glad that you feel that way! I am so happy with the positive response this has been getting, it just warms my heart; and I do not mean that sarcastically. I know….I am legitimately going to be heartbroken when I click the complete button under properties. Hopefully that won't be the case for a decent amount of time though!

**Lady Winterlight: **Yeah, I have always seen him as the noble type (which is again why I had some trouble with writing mending what is broken) so I didn't think that he would be the type of person to throw away such a bond because maintaining it required a little extra time commitment. He shall, not an overabundance, but definitely some. I also plan on adding some more Haldir and Legolas fluff in the near future! It will most definitely help him, I am a firm believer in the idea that love from the ones closest to us can speed up a recover process tenfold!

**Pie in the Face:** Yep! I like that resolution as well! And yes, I am going to try and hold out, especially now that I have this opportunity on my hands! The horror is still fresh in my mind, trust me. I am so glad that you enjoyed my chapter, it always makes me happy. I tend to float towards the dry humored people myself.

**MuggleCreator: **I am glad you like it! Our little archer is pretty great, I love the idea of him being a smartass under the princely façade. I am also happy that you approve of my portrayal of Legolas! I worked hard on it to make it as realistic as possible.

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: **I know, me to. That is why I kinda hate myself for mending what is broken (like I said before). He really is boss, and badass as hell!

**Cottoncandybeefalo:** Yay of course! Yeah I figured that he didn't really leave the greater Mirkwood area after his capture, and he especially didn't travel as far as Lotlorien. Yeah, you gotta love the feels, it is hard not to. I am glad that you are interested in what is going to happen! I hope that I satisfy you.

**Freedoms wings: **Oh my gosh thank you! I am so glad that you are interested! YAY! I was curious about the idea myself. Yeah, I actually plan on putting that scene in a chapter at some point. Yeah, I am assuming that the probably have the basics like hello, goodbye, things like that.

**Masked Man 2: **I it is all good my friend! I love hearing your thoughts, even if they are a little late. They are always welcome. You gotta love the marchwarden! Yeah, I wanted to show the brotherly side of them, while also showing that they both worry over each other. Glad you're excited!

**Oboeskywalker11:** Yep! Exciting things are on the way! I can promise you that exciting things are on the way!

**FanFic Judge: **OH MY GOD! This is so exciting! Just so you know, my posting habits are not due to writers block, more due to the fact that I am in school, and that takes up a lot of my time, not writers block. I am really interested in staying in the running, so I am going to try and update more frequently. However, this story is not going to be finished anytime soon, because I have a long way to go. Is that okay, and can the updating twice a week thing start the day this is posted?

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

The footsteps of the fellowship sounded like drums compared to the feather-light ones of their elven companion and escorts. The group was led by Haldir—several soldiers at his side—followed by Legolas and Aragorn, with the rest of the fellowship in a grouping towards the back with the rest of the elves. They had been traveling for a good twenty minutes, with their intended location being Caras Galadhon, where they could meet with the Lord Celeborn and the Lady Galadriel.

All were nervous, for if the Lord and Lady judged them to be unfit to continue, they would have to turn back and find another way around the Golden Wood. The time it would require was time that they didn't have, and it could potentially be catastrophic for the overall mission. With so much resting on this one meeting, putting one foot in front of the other was becoming difficult for much of the fellowship.

Soon the flat land of the forest morphed into a more hilly area, where the towering trees became sparse and the ground was dotted with small brush-like plants. When the group came to a particularly large downhill slope, Sam found his footing to be unstable, and the poor hobbit felt his feet slip out from under him. A yelp left his mouth, but before he could slide down, and most likely wipe out the rest of the group in front of him, the back of his jacket was grabbed and his fall halted. He turned to find a strange elf holding him up. The hobbit smiled and thanked the elf, but became confused when the soldier gave him an odd look and tilted his head to the side. The two shared a moment of awkward silence before another elf stepped in and saved them.

The new elf smiled at his fellow soldier and spoke briefly to him. Once he was done, the elf turned to the rather confused Sam and explained.

"Forgive my companion. He does not understand the common tongue. He is reasonably young, by our standards, and is yet to learn your language."

The gardener smiled and nodded before righting himself and continuing on. Although, he only got several feet before the entire group was stopped by the baritone voice of the marchwarden.

"Caras Galadhon…the heart of elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and Galadriel, lady of light."

Everyone within the fellowship gasped and their jaws dropped as they looked upon the heart of Lothlorien from their perch atop the overpass. The grouping of trees sparkled with the light from the elven city, and gave it an ethereal feel.

"Come, we must get you to see the Lord and Lady."

The group turned to see Haldir walking away once again. They were honesty disappointed that they weren't able to continue watching the area, but then again, they knew that where they were headed would allow them to gaze upon the beauty of the elven realm for as long as they wanted to.

* * *

"Eight there are, yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him."

The calming voice of Celeborn floated over the group. None were able to respond immediately, for it was as if they were in a daze. They watched the two high elves with wide eyes as they took everything in. Things seemed slower within the elven realm, less rushed, and smoother. No one really knew why, but some had a decent guess. The feeling of ease came over the fellowship as soon the Lady of Light took her first steps around the corner. Once the fellowship realized that they had been asked a question, Aragorn opened his mouth to speak, yet Galadriel beat him to it.

"….he has fallen into shadow."

The fellowship bowed their heads for a moment, confirming the lady's thoughts. Sadness fell over the faces of all present, and accompanying it was a bout of awkward silence. However, not all was as still as it seemed while the fellowship and Lorien elves silently grieved. There was a conversation going on, just not in the public space.

Legolas currently had his brows furrowed together as Galadriel invaded his mind.

_There is much you are hiding from us young one. There is much you haven't told us about what happened all those years ago. Why do you close yourself off from me? I do not intend you any harm. Thranduilion. Let me in…please Greenleaf, you do not need to worry. _

The Mirkwood prince glanced up and looked directly into Galadriel's piercing eyes. He was captured by them instantly, and giving a small breath, he nodded slowly. Although, he regretted it soon after, for a sharp pain smashed into the front of his skull. It was so strong that the elf could barely keep himself upright. He tightly clenched his eyes shut as the three years of his capture flashed wildly before his eyes.

_**Blood splattered bodies and walls**_

_**Dead, lifeless eyes of his kin, slayed before him**_

_**Cold stone walls**_

_**Clanking chains**_

_**Hacking coughs and wheezing breaths.**_

_**The dull sound of whips against skin**_

_**Screams of agony**_

_**The laughter of orcs piercing the air **_

Soon it was too much and the elf collapsed to the ground. He could hear the voices of Aragon, Haldir, and the hobbits calling to him, but they seemed so far away. It was as if Legolas was in a dream.

He wanted to call out for her to stop, for Galadriel to leave him be, but without his voice he couldn't do it vocally, and his mind was so overwhelmed that he couldn't call out to her through the link. Suddenly the images changed, and his body jerked forward.

_**The familiar voices calling out to him**_

_**Creaking hinges as the cell swung open**_

_**The overwhelming pain as he was jostled on the ride back to Mirkwood**_

_**Bedroom doors slamming shut in utter anger and helplessness**_

_**Hands shaking as he pressed the blade to his skin, desperate for release**_

That was when Legolas' panic took over, and he shook Galadriel from his mind. When the haze cleared, the prince found himself lying half-conscious on his back, flat on the ground. As he opened his eyes, he could see the blurred shapes of several beings above him, and immediately he began to fight back. All he could think about was the horror he had just seen, and the rational thought that these were his friends, fled him completely.

He lashed out suddenly, but his worries were quelled when he heard the voice of Aragorn.

"Legolas! Mellon-nin, clam down! Everything is going to be alright Legolas, but you need to calm down." (my friend)

The elf finally stilled, and squinted his eyes to focus on what was going on around him. He turned his head slightly, to find the ranger watching him carefully. The prince blinked a few times before he felt his throat clog, and water gather along his eyes. His chest heaved and convulsed as the first of his silent sobs left his throat. Ivory dropped over glassy ice-blue as the elf closed his eyes once more. He then felt arms wrap around his form as the man held him close.

"Hush now gwador-nin. Hush…." (my brother)

Legolas continued to cry as he gripped the man tightly, searching for comfort. After many moments of careful silence, the elf pulled away, and hastily wiped at his tears. He was horribly embarrassed that he had collapsed to the ground, and then dissolved into a sobbing fit in the middle of Lothlorien. The prince then scrambled away from Aragorn, and moved to his feet. He swayed a little, but he denied the help his friends offered as he turned to look upon the high elves.

The archer's eyes widened when he saw that Galadriel was leaning heavily against Celeborn, and many other elves were gathered around her, trying to help. Many minutes later, the Lady brushed off her many handlers and gracefully walked forward until he was standing in front of Legolas. She stared intently at prince for a while before she laid a loving hand on his forehead.

"My dear Legolas…oh my dear Greenleaf…you…."

Galadriel trailed off as she gave the elf a small smile before backing away a few steps.

"Please use this time to rest and recover. I will have someone escort you all to a place where you can stay. All of you except for you tithen-caun, I would like to speak with you." As an afterthought, she added in, "and Aragorn as well, for obvious reasons." (young prince)

Legolas nodded, but his face visibly fell at the thought.

The rest of the fellowship watched as the ranger stepped forward to place a hand on the elf's shoulder. They were about to turn away to leave the three to talk privately, but a sudden shout from the man made them whip their heads around in worry. The six pairs of eyes watched with sadness as the prince sprinted away into the woods.

Aragorn looked as though he were about to take chase, but Galadriel stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me go Aragorn, I need to speak with him. I understand that you wish to help him, and I am well aware that you are normally called to talk for him, but right now he needs to speak for himself."

The ranger looked at her with confusion, but the longer he gazed into her eyes, the more he became sure that her path was the right way to walk. He nodded in consent, and turned towards the fellowship, ushering them towards the Lorien elf who was to show them where to go.

"Come, we need to leave him be for now. Legolas will be in good hands with Lady Galadriel."

* * *

"Never have I seen one so young carrying this many scars."

The archer whipped around to find the lady standing behind him. He blushed when he realized that he hadn't heard her approach from his perch. Legolas was currently sitting upon a stack of boulders by the bank of one of the Golden's Wood many small lakes. He bowed his head in greeting before turning back to look out over the water.

"I apologize for what happened earlier. Please know that I held no intention of causing you such harm."

Legolas nodded and turned to look at her. How he wished that he could speak to her! As if sensing his plight, Galadriel came to sit next to him. She then pulled a folded piece of parchment, quill, and bottle of ink from one of the large pockets in her robe.

"I brought these, I felt that you needed to speak for yourself."

The elf nodded, and quickly wrote down _hannon lle _(thank you). Galadriel dipped her head, and turned her gaze to the water.

"You most likely know this question is going to come. Why?"

Legolas' eyes widened, and he slowly moved to write. _I felt the world I knew was gone. I had lost so much that I couldn't see the sun rising the next morning. I couldn't see that the next time I drew breath was going to be a moment in which I wanted to. Everything was changing, not just me, but the ones closest to me as well. No longer could I laugh with my father, or tell him what had happened during the day. The ones I called friends could barely stand to be around me, for all they could see were the scars that marred my skin and heart. But the worst of it all, was that I could no longer look at myself in the mirror without feeling that I was worthless. My pride was shattered, along with my spirit. Everything was growing darker no matter how I looked at the world, and that terrified me. I tried to fight, I honestly did but one day something snapped, and from that angle, the blade looked to be the best option. _

The last few words were smeared with the tears dripping from his eyes. His hands began to shake, and that was when he felt the soft skin of Galadriel's own wrapped around them. Legolas looked up to find a bright smile staring at him.

"There is always a tomorrow penneth. You would do well to never forget that. Darkness always lingers, there is no way to avoid it, yet there is a way to live around it. Never should you seek to end a life as pure as your own. The light and life you are given by the Valar is not something to throw away, especially when it feels like there is no other option, for that is when we are able to see everything that is worth living for through the aid of the ones we love." (little one)

Legolas sniffed, and smiled towards the Lady. He gently pulled one hand from Galadriel's grip to write once again. _Hannon lle (thank you). _He then paused and looked up at the elleth, worrying his lip a little. _I know that this is much to ask, but would you be willing to talk for a little while longer. Your company is greatly enjoyed._

Galadriel smiled and nodded.

"I would be honored Greenleaf."

* * *

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